Shinigami Reincarnate
by Ammonites
Summary: Tamotsu Toshiyuki died twenty-six years ago in Soul Society. Now, living as a human, he begins to remember what happened. Regaining his memories and powers, he is now charged with finding others like himself and discovers hidden secrets of his own past.
1. Chapter 1

Karakura Town

Tamotsu Toshiyuki awoke five minutes before his alarm. "Another dream," he said. He often dreamed. He was an artist, and he gained inspiration from his dreams. He often painted landscapes. Forests, rivers and valleys, sometimes the city. But lately, the dreams were different. He dreamed of people. Samurai, as far as he could tell. But something was different. He never used to dream of this. Not until after he met Rangiku Matsumoto.

It had been fifteen months since he met her, running into her blindly as he turned a corner. He could never forget that face. So beautiful and kind with hair like gold. She had treated him to a dinner of coconut shrimp with a friend of hers, Inoue Orihime. Though he thought of her often, Tamotsu could never think of Rangiku in a romantic sense. Kindred spirits, close friends, but he could never think of her as anything else.

The buzzing sounded, Tamotsu reached over and slapped the top of the alarm clock. He then reset the alarm and slowly got up. After washing, he prepared a meager breakfast of toast and orange juice. He would have preferred more, but that was all he could afford in order to keep up on rent for his studio apartment. That, and the majority of his income was made from, and spent on, his paintings.

Tamotsu was a great painter, his works sold relatively well. But for the past fifteen months, with his new works, his landscapes never sold as well. He kept imagining all these characters, always in such detail. He couldn't explain why.

"Oh, well," Tamotsu said as he sat down in front of a blank canvas. "As long as it pays the bills." Then Tamotsu began to paint.

Seireitei

Rangiku Matsumoto sat at the desk, smiling and humming happily as she organized a pile of papers into a neat stack. She normally hated paperwork and would do anything to avoid it. But if she did that, she would have to avoid her Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya. Although she was the one who coaxed him to join Soul Society, he quickly rose to outrank her and become Captain. A strict follower of the rules, Hitsugaya wanted everything in order. The reason Rangiku willingly did the work today was so that he would have no reason to keep her there.

Rangiku looked up and waved cheerily as Hitsugaya entered. "Hi there, Captain," she said.

"Hello Matsumoto," Hitsugaya said. He always had a habit for calling people by their last name as a sign of respect and position, as well as showing formality. "You seem unusually happy today."

"Oh, I just got done with your paperwork."

"You?" Hitsugaya asked, a look of genuine surprise on his face. "You willingly did paperwork? That's unusual."

"Yep. All caught up. Now you don't have any excuses to keep me here. I'm gonna go to the World of the Living for a while okay?"

"You've been going there a lot lately. Any particular reason?"

Rangiku began walking to the door. "Not really, no. I just like going there."

"A lot more than you usually do. What's going on?" Hitsugaya stepped in front of Rangiku to keep her from advancing to the door.

"Oh, Captain," Rangiku said, almost flirtatiously waving her hand at him. "Nothing's going on. You worry too much." She moved her way past her Captain and continued to the door of his office.

"Matsumoto! If you're going there, you have to respond to any calls that come up, do you understand?" Rangiku was already past the door, but she still responded with her non-chalant manner. "What is with her?"

Rangiku walked cheerily along the path to the Senkaimon, the gateway to the World of the Living. A black swallowtail, her Jigokucho, flying at her side. She was happy, about to make another visit to her friend Tamotsu Toshiyuki. He used to be a Shinigami, over twenty five years had passed since he died in her arms. She had never felt so close to anyone, despite the fact they had only known each other a few years. Although his death was devastating to her, she was overjoyed to see that he had been reincarnated in the World of the Living. Though a mere human now, she still enjoyed his company more than anything. And she would do almost anything, including her Captain's paperwork, for the chance to see him again.

Two Kido Corps officers stood at the Senkaimon, a large red doorway which led to another dimension, a gateway between worlds. They saluted Rangiku as she approached, then tapped the ground with their staffs. The doorway opened, a brilliant white light flooded out. Rangiku approached the light, her Jigokucho staying by her side.

_It wasn't enjoyable going through all those papers_, she thought as the intensity of the light increased. _But it was worth it to see him again_.

Rangiku continued into the ever-increasing light. In front of her, another doorway appeared. It was a different design, like the thin wooden sliding doors of traditional Japan. They slid open and the landscape appeared before her. It was Karakura Town, the sun had been up only a couple of hours. She stepped onto the soft grass and took in the air. She always enjoyed visiting the World of the Living, always something new to see. Especially at the malls. So many styles and fashions, and at much lower prices than in Soul Society.

But Rangiku wasn't here for the malls and fashion trends today. She was here to see her friend. He wouldn't be able to see her in her current form, as most humans are unable to see things in the Spiritual Realm. She would need her Gigai, the artificial bodies Souls used to interact in the other Realm. And ever since there were rumors of a store display that came to life, since she often left her Gigai to model the latest models at the store, she had to keep it at the shop of Kisuke Urahara.

Rangiku began running towards the shop, the breeze ruffling through her black uniform and causing her pink scarf to flow behind her. Urahara's shop was in another district from where she emerged, but it didn't bother her. She would soon see her friend again, and she had a feeling this visit would be a lot more memorable


	2. The Dreamer

Tamotsu worked at his painting. How long had he been there? He had gotten up at sunrise and painted since then. He often lost track of time while focusing on his work. But he couldn't work too long, today was when Rangiku said she would see him again. He always looked forward to their meetings, she was practically the only friend he had at the time. Others lived so far away he rarely saw them.

Sitting back, Tamotsu looked out the window. His apartment overlooked the river that ran through Karakura Town. An excellent view for a painter. Inspired and at sunset the sky burned with red and orange making the water glow and sparkle with a swirling mix of color.

Some movement caught his eye. Someone was running, almost transparent. He looked closer, seeing the black robes and pink scarf flowing with golden hair trailing behind. Rangiku? Tamostu shook his head and looked again. The figure was gone. Maybe he was working too much. He covered the unfinished painting with a white cloth so it would not be disturbed. Looking at the clock he noticed he had been working for nearly four hours nonstop.

"Time for a break, I suppose," Tamotsu said. By taking a break, he meant a break from painting itself. Gathering a few of the paintings scattered around the apartment, he placed them into a large portfolio and headed for the door. He reached for the handle, then hesitated. He looked over to another painting, the image facing the wall. Sighing, he shook his head and grabbed it almost reluctantly and added it to his portfolio.

He had to get these paintings to the art gallery before three o'clock and, if he was lucky, pick up the check any of his paintings that sold. It was a tough lifestyle, and success depended on what people wanted in the market. Not many people in this day and age appreciated the true value of good art, but he still painted. Cities, woodlands, mountains... and the images from his dreams. Something felt odd with those ones, as if he had seen the images before. Tamtosu sighed again. _As long as they sell_, he thought.

Urahara's Shop

Rangiku exited from a Shunpo, a technique which used speed to move far quicker than the eye could see. She had begun running, then decided to pick up the pace. She longed to see Tamotsu again. Although she couldn't place exactly why she liked him so much, she still got excited all the same whenever she came here. Of course, she hadn't told Captain Hitsugaya, or anyone else in Soul Society, about her discovery. Tamostu was her friend. She had lost him once, and did not want to lose him again.

Urahara's shop looked quaint from the outside, the interior stocked with a variety of sweets and other goods. In reality, it was the shop where Shinigami visited to gather supplies they needed. Kisuke Urahara was formerly the Captain of the Twelfth Division, as well as the one who turned it into the Research and Development headquarters. Though banished over a century ago due to false accusations by former Captain Aizen, the issues have since been resolved and Kisuke had been accepted back into Soul Society, though he left the Twelfth Division to its current leader.

A young boy with firey red hair opened the door as Rangiku approached. His name as Jinta, and he was one of the keepers at Urahara's shop. Although very young, he possessed incredible power and could fight Hollows just as well as any seasoned Shinigami in the Soul Society.

"Oh," Jinta said as Rangiku approached. "Its you again. Urahara! Rangiku's here again!"

Kisuke Urahara was heard before he was seen, his wooden sandals clanking on the shop floor. His green and white hat which he almost always wore came down and almost covered his eyes constantly. "Ah, Rangiku-san!" Kisuke said cheerfully. "Welcome back. Come to retrieve your Gigai I'm assuming?"

"Yes, thank you Urahara," Rangiku responded.

"I took the liberty of modifying it for you a bit, it should allow you to better use certain techniques while still locked inside the form. I haven't tested it yet, I didn't think you would appreciate someone else in your Gigai."

"You modified it?" Rangiku asked. Kisuke was always wanting to tinker with things, making them better and more efficient. She didn't mind too much, as long as she didn't become stuck as was known to happen from time to time.

"Nothing to worry about," Kisuke responded. "Only slight modifications. You'll have to tell me what you think."

Rangiku opened a sliding compartment and saw her Gigai. It looked just like she did, except the face was blank and expressionless while the body itself was stiff and rigid. Rangiku stepped forward, a flash of light as she entered the body. She flexed her arms and hands, testing the movement of the Gigai. Everything seemed to be in working order.

"If anything should happen," Kisuke said, "be sure to tell me. I'm wanting to make a new version of my Portable Gigai so you could blend into this world anywhere."

"Thank you, I will," Rangiku said. With a smile and a wink, she exited the shop. She still had some time before she had to meet with Tamotsu, but she didn't want to idle around. Besides, on the way over she noticed there was a sale on the latest fashion trends at one of the stores.

Art Gallery

Hiroko Nakamura stood behind the counter, her black hair covering the sides of her face. She owned the art gallery, and had a keen eye for talent. One of the favorite artists who sold there was Tamotsu Toshiyuki.

Tamotsu entered, carrying the portfolio bag. Hiroko smiled. He had some new paintings, it would seem.

"Hello, Tamotsu," Hiroko said. "Looks like you've got quite the load today."

Tamotsu approached the counter and set the portfolio down. "A few things, yes."

"Would you like to bring them around back so I could look at them?"

"Certainly." Tamotsu retrieved the portfolio and followed Hiroko to a room behind the counter. Once behind the counter, Tamotsu opened the portfolio and Hiroko began sifting through the paintings. Mount Fuji, Karakura Town at sunset, and a few urban and rural settings.

"These certainly are good paintings," Hiroko said. "But unfortunately they're not selling right now. I'm already packed with paintings that have been sitting here for months. What about your newer works?"

Tamotsu sighed. He always trusted Hiroko to tell him the truth, harsh as it may be. But she was right. As a friend she respected and admired his paintings, but they just weren't selling like they used to. Reluctantly, Tamotsu pulled out the final painting. Hiroko's eyes lit up.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," she said. "Great, fanciful work. How do you come up with these?"

"They just sort of come to me," Tamotsu said, almost choking. He didn't understand the reasoning behind it, it just seemed familiar somehow.

"I'll have this one in the window within the hour." With that, Hiroko handed the other paintings back to Tamotsu, who almost half-heartedly stuck them back in the portfolio. It wasn't that he didn't care, he loved all of his paintings and never made more than one of each image. But he was frustrated that it was his newer non-landscape works that got the attention.

Tamotsu was about to leave the store when Hiroko stopped him. "Don't you want your check?" she asked. So some of his works had sold.

"Sorry, I forgot to ask," Tamotsu said as he took the check. He looked at the numbers and his eyes grew wide.

"I told you," Hiroko said with a smile. "Its your newer works that sell right now. Had an auction start on a couple of them. Big money. Maybe you should just stick to those ones right now. But don't give up on your landscapes. I'll let you know as soon as there's room for them."

"Thank you, Hiroko," Tamotsu sighed. "I guess I'll focus on those for the time being." Tamotsu left, carrying the portfolio at his side and the check in his pocket. What was it with these images that came so easily to him? He couldn't possibly have made them up on his own. Was there some higher power guiding him? Or was it something else? In any case, he didn't have to worry. Rangiku would probably be waiting for him, and her company always made him forget his worries


	3. The Painter

The Park

Tamotsu opened his eyes. Where was he? A forest? He didn't remember entering any forest anywhere. Last he knew, he sat down on a bench in the park to wait for Rangiku. So what was he doing here?

"Tamotsu?" a voice called? "Can you hear me?"

Tamotsu turned around. A young woman was standing in front of him, wearing a brown tunic with red tabbards. She had hair like fire, but her features were soft. "Who are you?" Tamotsu asked.

"Tamotsu, you can hear me," the woman said. She seemed excited. "And see me. You are beginning to remember and reawaken your true powers." His powers? What was she talking about?

"Who are you?" Tamotsu asked. "What is this place?"

The woman smiled and took a couple steps forward. "You will know in time. You will remember. And when you do, you will speak my name."

"Speak your name? What is your name?"

"The time will soon come when you will need my help again. Speak my name, Tamotsu. Tamotsu."

"Tamotsu," Rangiku said. Tamotsu woke up with a jerk. He was in the park, Rangiku was standing next to his bench. "You fell asleep."

"I'm sorry, Rangiku," Tamotsu said. "I've had a lot of restless nights. Strange dreams."

"Oh? What kind of dreams?"

"I'm in a forest. I've never been there before. There's this woman, she told me to speak her name."

Rangiku's heart skipped a beat. _Could it be?_ she thought. She had heard Tamotsu speak of a woman in a strange place before, but not in the world of the living. It happened back in Soul Society. _Could his zanpakuto be trying to reach out to him again?_

"Its probably nothing. Come on, let's hit the town! That always cheers you up." Rangiku grabbed Tamotsu's hand to pull him off the bench. Tamotsu resisted, remaining seated. "Come on. I did a ridiculous amount of paperwork and other chores to come here today, the least you could do is act more excited."

"I'm sorry, Rangiku," Tamotsu said. "I thought seeing you again would make me feel better as well. Could we just talk for a while please?"

Rangiku sat down and put her arm around Tamotsu. "Of course," she said. "I'm here for you. What's on your mind?" Tamotsu stared at the ground for a moment before he spoke.

"Something's happening to me," he finally said. "I just can't explain it. My paintings aren't selling the way they used to, everyone wants my new things."

"Is that what this is about? You couldn't make a few sales?"

"Its more than that. These images. These dreams. They seem so real, but I know I can't be so creative to come up with them. These people I see, so clearly now. I feel like they're real. Like I've seen them somewhere. I think you're a part of it as well. I just don't know. What's happening to me?"

"You're being hard on yourself. Maybe I could take a look at some of them. Is that your portfolio?" Rangiku opened the portfolio and began sifting through the canvases. "You're sad because these aren't selling? They're wonderful!"

Tamotsu took the paintings and put them away. "Those aren't the ones that are selling. You haven't seen them yet, they sell before you come on your visits."

"Come on. Lets head into town and get you to unwind. How about some ice cream? That always makes everyone feel better." Rangiku took Tamotsu's hand again, he rose reluctantly and took his paintings. The two began walking, standing side by side.

_Maybe she's right_, Tamotsu thought. _Maybe I've just been frustrated that nobody wants the other paintings anymore. Still, how could I have come up with so many unique characters?_

A short time later the two friends walked down a shopping district, each eating an ice cream. The mint flavor of his cone and the cold texture had helped to calm Tamotsu. He was still worked up, like something tugging at the back of his mind. He tried to dismiss it, but just couldn't block it out. He hadn't described any of his paintings to Rangiku. In fact, she was one of the first ones he had painted. He felt embarrassed to show it to her. For some reason, he had the shitagi and kosode shown revealing her bosom, and her sword was disappearing into what appeared to be ashes. He also painted a pink scarf to her attire. He didn't know why, it just seemed to fit. What would she think if she ever found out, he wondered.

"Thank you," Tamotsu said to break the silence. "I'm feeling better now."

"I was wondering when you'd say something," Rangiku responded. "Normally you're not this quiet. These dreams of yours must really be bothering you."

"They're just dreams. Nothing more..." Tamotsu trailed off. They were standing in front of a store selling televisions, an old samurai movie was playing. Two samurai drew their swords and began to fight. Tamotsu dropped everything he was holding as he grabbed his head and cried out.

"Tamotsu!" Rangiku placed her hands on her friend's shoulder, her eyes wide.

Images flooded into Tamotsu's mind. Black-clad samurais wielding swords, dueling each other. _This isn't a dream_, Tamotsu thought. _Not a dream. Why am I seeing these images?_ More images came, he was standing on a bridge as Rangiku approached dressed in those black robes everyone he saw was wearing. And someone else. She wore a brown tunic with red tabbards. _That woman. Who is she?_

"Why is this happening to me?" Tamotsu cried out as he fell to his knees. Onlookers stopped and stared a moment before moving on. "Rangiku, I'm sorry. I know you went through a lot to get to see me again-" A distant howl stopped his sentence.

"What is it?" Rangiku asked.

"I heard something. Felt something. Like a dark presence. I- I need to go." Tamotsu grabbed his paintings and began running.

Rangiku stood speechless. _What's going on with him?_ she wondered. A ringing tone from her pocket brought her back to the moment. She pulled out her Soul Phone and opened it. A blinking arrow appeared on the screen, signifying the presence of a Hollow. Rangiku began running, then stopped and looked in the direction where Tamotsu had fled. _Could he have sensed the presence of a Hollow? Even hear it before I did?_ It didn't matter at the moment. She had to deal with the Hollow immediately.

The Painting

Rangiku slid on the ground to maintain balance as she dodged the scythe-like blade on the Hollow's arm. The Hollow was rather large, at least fifteen feet tall, but still very fast. She had fought worse. The Hollow swung its scythe-arms again, Rangiku dodging them easily. While in the air, the Hollow swung around and a long tail was poised to strike her. Rangiku use Shunpo, a high-speed traveling technique, to dodge that blow.

"Growl, Haineko!" Rangiku cried out. The blade of her zanpakuto disintegrated into a plume of ash. Using her hilt to guide it, Rangiku moved the ash to the Hollow's location. It jumped toward her, bringing the scythe-arms up high. Assuming a defensive position, the ash quickly flowed in front of Rangiku and blocked the blow. With a flick of her wrist, the ash suddenly surrounded the Hollow and landed on it. With a full swing of her arm, the ash that had settled followed the motion and cut through the Hollow's skin.

The Hollow howled as blood flowed from a hundred cuts and it dissolved into the air. The blade of Rangiku's zanpakuto re-materialized and she sheathed it. The Hollow was a bit more than she would have liked to exert herself with, but it was still quite a simple task. She looked back to the city. Had Tamotsu really sensed its presence before she got a call? Where did he run off to, anyway?

Rangiku had to use her Gikongan, dubbed "Soul Candy" by the Shinigami Women's Association, in order to exit her Gigai. The problem with Momone, her artificial soul, is that it tended to be perverted and put the moves on with any man it happened to come across. Not the best way to have your body portrayed, especially if you intended to re-enter it soon after.

After walking for several minutes back into the city, Rangiku found Momone staring into the window of a painting store. "Momone, there you are," Rangiku said. "Haven't I told you not to go wandering off?"

Momone looked up from the window with her typical blank expression. Though Rangiku hated to see her image in such a dumbfounded state, there wasn't much choice when it came to the Gikongan. Each had personalities meant to blend in to society, but didn't actually work all that well with the actual humans.

"Rangiku," Momone said, her voice almost slurred. "Lookie what I found. Kinda familiar, don'tcha think so?"

Rangiku walked to the window to see the painting that so infatuated Momone. She was expecting some bodybuilder or other type of man, so she was taken completely by surprise by what she actually saw. A dark, cloudy backdrop with a bright figure in the front. A young man, white hair and wielding a sword longer than he is, with dragon wings of ice coming out of his back. The image was unmistakable. Looking at the inscription for the title, it read "Daiguren Hyorinmaru."

Rangiku's eyes were wide. "Captain..." she said. Looking at the bottom of the painting, she saw the kanji written for the artist's name. It read "Tamotsu Toshiyuki." Rangiku's mouth dropped. _Impossible,_ she thought. _Its just not possible he could have remembered that much!_

"Can we get it?" Momone asked. Rangiku stepped into the Gigai, entering it with a flash of light. She spit out a round, green pill and put it in her pocket, Momone's complaining voice on how she still wanted to watch the men work out across the street.

Rangiku pulled out her Soul Phone quickly and dialed. Toshiro Hitsugaya picked up on the other end of the line. "Captain," Rangiku said. "I need you to come to the world of the living right now."

"I can't do that, Matsumoto," Hitsugaya said. "I've got a few more items I need to take care of first."

"Captain, its urgent! I need you to come here. Its..." Rangiku hesitated. If she told Hitsugaya the real reason why she kept coming here, she may not get the opportunity anymore. On the other hand, if Tamotsu was indeed remembering his past, it would affect the whole of Soul Society. She decided for the greater good she would tell him. "Its Tamostu. Tamotsu Toshiyuki."

"Matsumoto. Toshiyuki died twenty-six years ago."

"He's alive. He's living as a human. And, I'm certain that he is remembering his life from Soul Society. I'm sending you a picture." Rangiku pressed a button on the Soul Phone, taking a picture of the painting Momone had found. "The artist of this painting is Tamotsu Toshiyuki. He's the reason I've kept visiting the world of the living. I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner."

In Soul Society, Hitsugaya stared at the image on the Soul Phone's screen. There was no doubt. That was his Bankai, the second released state of his zanpakuto. There was no possible way for a human to have known about that, unless they had seen it up close. "Matsumoto," Hitsugaya said. "I need you to get that painting. We will have to bring this before Captain Commander Yamamoto. I don't care about the cost, just get it."

"Understood," Rangiku said. She hung up the phone and placed it in her pocket. Composing herself, she entered the store and greeted Hiroko.

"Good day to you," Hiroko said, smiling cheerily. "I see you're interested in those paintings as well?"

"There's more of them?" Rangiku asked. _Were these the new paintings Tamotsu had mentioned? If so, how many were there?_

"Oh, yes. Tamotsu has several more, they all sell quickly. You should get this one, it just came in today."

Rangiku opened her purse. "Yes. I would like to purchase it then. Tamotsu is actually a friend of mine."

"Ah, you must be Rangiku then. Sorry, but I can't give a discount. You know, Tamotsu talks about you often. You two must have an excellent relationship."

"We're just good friends, actually. I just didn't know he painted images like that."

Hiroko smiled. "Yes, he's been doing those ones for over a year now. Brought the first one in about fifteen months ago."

Rangiku froze. _Fifteen months ago?_ she wondered. _Has he been painting these since the day I found him? Am I the reason for these? If so, how much has he remembered? No wonder he was so upset._ Rangiku handed Hiroko a card, which she swiped on a machine. The transaction passed through successfully and Hiroko smiled.

"The painting is all yours," Hiroko said. "Would you like it to be packaged so you don't damage it?"

"Yes, please," Rangiku responded. Hiroko went to the back of the store and brought out a box for the painting. She packaged it neatly and handed it to Rangiku. Rangiku began to leave when Hiroko stopped her with another comment.

"You must be very dear to Tamotsu," Hiroko said. "He's got another painting, a very nice one, at his apartment. He won't sell it, but I think its a painting of you.


	4. Memories Return

Past Revelation

Rangiku slowly walked up the stairs of the apartment complex. She had never been so nervous on approaching anyone as she neared Tamotu's door. Holding the painting of Hitsugaya's Bankai made her even more so, as to her knowledge something like this had never happened. She had faced Hollows on countless occasions, life-threatening instances more frequently than she liked, even facing the threat of the Arrancar. But this instance made her hand shake as she finally reached the door.

_What do I do?_ she thought. _Do I knock or just open the door?_ This wasn't her first visit, and with the trail of _reiatsu_ she knew Tamotsu was there. Slowly, she reached for the door handle and turned. The door squeaked as it opened to reveal the room's interior.

"Tamotsu?" Rangiku said. "Are you here?" Opening the door further revealed Tamotsu sitting at the far end of the room working on yet another painting of a Shinigami. Side by side, other paintings lined the wall. They were all of Shinigami she recognized. Captain Zaraki Kenpachi striking an aggressive stance, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki surrounded by pink flower petals and then she saw the painting of herself.

"I don't know why I keep seeing these things," Tamotsu finally said, his focus remaining on his most recent work as he painted. "Ever since I met you, I've seen these images. So clear. So precise. I see them as real people."

Rangiku placed the painting of Hitsugaya down and leaned it against the wall. She walked slowly as she took in all the paintings. Ikkaku Madarame, Soi Fon, Komamura, landscapes of Seireitei at sunset. Such detail in paintings as she had never seen before. She wasn't sure what shocked her more. Was it that he could remember all these things? Or was it the sheer artistic quality of his work?

"What's happening to me, Rangiku?" Tamotsu said, his voice cracking. Placing the paintbrush down and turning to face her for the first time since she entered, Rangiku noticed tears welling up in his eyes. "I never used to paint these, but now they're coming to me all the time. Who are these people? Why can I see them like this? And why do I see you in these black robes?"

Rangiku stopped walking and sat down in a chair. She couldn't bear to see her friend like this. Couldn't bear approaching him any further.

"Why did you approach me that day, Rangiku?" The tears began to flow freely. Choking the words out, Tamotsu continued speaking. "What am I to you? Are these dreams? Memories? What's happening to me? Who are you? Who... who am I?"

Rangiku found the courage to rise again and approach Tamotsu. Standing in front of him now, she knelt on her knees and brought herself below his eye level. "You are Tamtsu Toshiyuku," she said, placing her hand behind his neck. "You are my friend. We are friends. We-" she stopped. This was the point of no return. Should she continue, she would have to explain everything. She continued. "We... were friends. A long time ago."

"What do you mean?"

Rangiku pointed to the painting of Seireitei at sunset. "That city there," she said. "Its called Seireitei. Its the capital city of Soul Society. We... lived there. As Shinigami."

"What... happened... to me?"

Tears now welled up in Rangiku's eyes. She didn't want to tell him, but she knew she had to. "You died," she said finally. "You died to protect me."

"I- I died?" A new series of images flooded Tamotsu's mind. He saw himself, looking up at Rangiku. She was in the black robes, tears rolling down her cheeks. Tamotsu gasped and grabbed his head. He cried out as if in great pain.

"These are your memoried, Tamotsu," Rangiku said. "Your life before this one. I thought I'd lost you forever, but seeing you here... I couldn't bear to lose you again."

"Its true," a voice said from the doorway. Tamotsu and Rangiku turned to see Toshiro Hitsugaya standing in the doorway. He was in his gigai, taking the form of a young looking boy with white hair.

"Captain..." Rangiku said, almost as surprised as Tamotsu was.

Tamotsu looked at him, his body shaking. "Captain... Hitsugaya..." he said slowly. Another series of pains hit Tamotsu. He grabbed his head and cried out again in pain, then once more to vent his frustrasion.

"Matsumoto," Hitsugaya said. "Come on. I've seen all I need to. We should let Toshiyuki adjust to this development."

Rangiku nodded and began walking.

"Wait," Tamotsu called out. "Please... Don't leave me." Rangiku stopped and Hitsugaya looked up. "I don't understand what's happening. Please, I don't want to be alone. You two seem to know something. Please. Stay. I don't want to be alone."

Hitsugaya opened his mouth, but no words found their way out. For once in his life, he couldn't find any words for a situation. What could he say? There was no procedure or process for dealing with a situation like this. Had this ever even happened before in Soul Society? It was common knowledge that when souls died in one world they crossed over into the other, but to remember? There was rumor of a student in the Soul Academy that remembered his life as a human, but that could be explained by retaining memories after a Soul Burial. This was something completely different.

"Very well," Hitsugaya said finally. "I'll have to place someone in charge until we return, but Matsumoto and I shall stay here until you are comfortable."

"Thank you... Captain," Tamotsu said. "Thank you."

"These paintings. They are very good. I don't wish to intrude, but may we take some of them to Soul Society when we depart?"

A smile crept over Tamostu's face, then he gave a short laugh. "Only if you pay for them," he said.

Hitsugaya smiled with Rangiku. "Very well," he said. "Of course, I'll have to explain this spending to the Captain Commander. But given the circumstances I don't think he'll mind all that much."

Tamotsu smiled again. "Thank you," he said. This was indeed an unusual circumstance. So he knew Rangiku in a life before this one? It seemed to make sense. But it was overwhelming all the same. What was their relation? Was he highly though of? A thousand questions suddenly filled his mind. And would he regain more of his memories? _At least_, he thought, _I don't have to go through this alone_.

Shinigami Reincarnate

Tamostu, Rangiku and Hitsugaya sat in the restaurant. None of them had eaten much that day, considering what all had transpired. Tamotsu had taken surprisingly well to the news of his past life. Perhaps it was comforting to know that he wasn't crazy. Names had been given to all the people he had painted, and knowing that they were real came as a relief to him.

"I really appreciate what you're doing," Tamotsu said as he picked up another piece of grilled shrimp. "I'd probably end up in an institution if not for your help."

Hitsugaya had only ordered a small dish, which he had finished neatly and now sat at the end of the table. "I'm just wondering how the Captain Commander will react to all this," he said with no real enthusiasm. "You do know we'll have to take you there soon, right?"

"One step at a time if you don't mind," Tamotsu said, finally finishing his plate. "I mean, this is a lot to take in. I'm not sure I'd be able to handle much more of this."

Rangiku smiled from across the table at Tamotsu. "You sure seem to be doing much better than usual," she said. "Even with my other visits you seemed rather distant, but now its like we've gotten a good connection."

"I don't know. I've spent most of my life alone, but now I've found out I have friends. Several friends. Even if they do think I'm still dead..."

Hitsugaya turned and looked at Tamotsu. "Tell me something," he said. "How do you feel? Any restrictions? Dulled senses?"

"Dulled senses? Dear me, no. I've studied in various martial arts for the better part of twenty years. Top of my class. But I haven't done anything like that for some time now."

"Top of your class?" Rangiku asked. She remembered in Seireitei that Tamotsu's senses had been dulled and he had slow reaction time in any form of physical fighting. _Was it because of the seal?_ she wondered. _Or is it something else?_ She remembered Captain Unohana saying that Tamotsu had some type of seal which restricted the vast majority of his power. Did the seal disappear when he died in Soul Society? If so, why isn't he brimming with energy? Back then, without the seal his body was unable to maintain its own Spiritual Pressure. Did he lose a lot of it? Or was his body able to change in a way so he could maintain it?

"Rangiku," Tamotsu said. "Are you okay? You seem to be drifting."

Rangiku snapped out of her thoughts. It seemed she had as many questions for Tamotsu as he did for her. "Its nothing," she said. "Just thinking about things."

"Anything I need to know about?"

"No, its nothing. You said you were in the top of your class. So, why did you stop?"

"Something seemed to be lacking. The Senseis always tried pushing me in a direction I didn't want to go."

"Well, if we're done here," Hitsugaya said. He pulled out a small stack of cash and placed it on the table. The three exited into the night. The air was warm, the streets mostly empty. A few stragglers moved along the walkway back to their homes, paying no heed to the trio.

Turning a corner, Tamotsu suddenly stopped. Something was wrong. He couldn't place it exactly, but it scared him.

"Toshiyuki?" Hitsugaya said. "What is it?"

Tamotsu's eyes grew wide. "I feel... something..." he said. "Like a presence... Something..."

"I don't feel anything. Matsumoto? Do you?"

"Nothing," she responded. And that worried her. How was it that Tamotsu could sense something when they couldn't? Was it his reiatsu that was interfering with their senses? If it was, that would mean-

Tamotsu suddenly cried out and grabbed his head. Rangiku and Hitsugaya ran to him in case he fell. Images flooded into Tamotsu's head. He saw several large creatures. Most were dark in color, coming in all shapes and sizes. But there were two key characteristics that all the creatures shared. The first was the white mask that covered their faces, the second was the hole in their chest. That hollow hole... Hollows!

"Hollow!" Tamotsu burst out. "There's a Hollow nearby. A strong one."

Rangiku and Hitsugaya exchanged glances quickly. A strong Hollow? How could that be? Then Rangiku remembered. The last time this happened, Tamotsu heard something and ran off. Not a moment later did the Soul Phone ring with a report of a Hollow that had appeared. Sure enough, the phone rang. Rangiku pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the screen. The Hollow was close.

"We need to get him out of here," Hitsugaya said. Immediately the trio began running. Hitsugaya had to make sure Tamotsu was in a secure location. The Hollow would surely target him.

Hitsugaya led Rangiku and Tamotsu to an alley. It wasn't the most secure location, but it would be able to be well protected. Especially with him and Rangiku together.

"Stay here, Toshiyuki," Hitsugaya said as he reached into one of his pockets. A great gob of sticky slime exploded from around the corner and hit Hitsugaya, pinning him against the wall. "What?" he cried. It was so close. How could he not have felt that presence so close? Was it really Tamotsu's reiatsu interfering? If so, why couldn't they sense it from him?

"Captain!" Rangiku cried. She took two steps when the Hollow appeared from around the corner. It was nearly three times her height, and being hunched over at that. Large forearms and a short tail, its yellow eyes glowing behind the mask.

The Hollow laughed sinisterly as it approached slowly. "How lucky I am to find such a feast tonight. Appetizer, main course and dessert, heh heh."

"No!" Rangiku said sharply. "You are not making a main course out of me or the Captain!"

"A Captain, you say? Oh, that must mean the white haired child is a Shinigami. And you as well, I presume. No wonder you smell so tasty. But no, he will not be the main course. He will merely be the dessert. And you are the appetizer. The main course, the tastiest one of all, is the one you are trying to hide behind you."

"What?" Did she hear correctly? It preferred Tamotsu above either of them? She had to change quickly if she was to protect him. Reaching quickly into her pocket, she pulled out her dispenser and brought it to her mouth. Before she could dispense the pill that contained her artificial soul, Rangiku found herself pinned to the ground.

"I've heard about those devices, Shinigami," the Hollow said. "So long as you remain in your human form, you are helpless." It was right. Without her zanpakuto available, she couldn't do much. She might be able to fire a kido spell, but reciting the incantation would alert the Hollow and it would kill her. But with how she was positioned, she could only cast a minor spell that would only aggravate it. And Hitsugaya was in the same position as she was.

"Let them go, beast," Tamotsu said, sliding into a fighting stance.

"What's this?" the Hollow said. "So noble and daring. A mere boy like you could never stand a chance against me!" The Hollow lashed out with its clawed forearm. Tamotsu dodged backward and kicked upward. It did nothing more than raise the Hollow's hand a few inches, but the surprise allowed Tamotsu to run to the side of the alley. Jumping on top of the crates and boxes that cluttered the alley, he jumped off and spun around to his left, bringing his foot around in a spinning kick at the Hollow's face. It landed hard, knocking the Hollow back slightly. Tamotsu landed to find the grip on Rangiku had tightened.

_That kick was hard enough to break bone_, Tamotsu thought. _I'm sure of it._

The Hollow laughed slowly. "Impressive," it said. "Very impressive, I must say." Tamotsu looked over his shoulder as he saw movement and was barely able to dodge the Hollow's clawed hand again. "But futile none the less." The hand opened up and the clawed fingers hit Tamotsu. They did not pierce, but he did manage to have the wind knocked out of him.

Tamotsu stood shakily and assumed the fighting stance again. "I said it was useless!" the Hollow cried, thrusting its arm again and knocking Tamotsu into the alley wall.

"Toshiyuki!" Hitsugaya called. He struggled to move, but the spit had dried into a hard resin. He could freeze it with Hyorinmaru's ability if he was able to change into a Shinigami, but he was completely restrained. Kido was out of the question, as his hands were too close to his gigai's vital areas.

"Hado 31!" Rangiku said. "Shakkaho!" A burst of red energy hit the Hollow's hand that was holding it down and knocked it into the air. The Hollow stepped backward to regain balance as Rangiku quickly rose to her feet. The Hollow lunged forward with its other hand, pinning Rangiku against the wall.

"I think I've wasted enough time," the Hollow said as it brought its head closer to Rangiku.

Tamotsu struggled to his knees. The Hollow looked over to see him raising one hand, supported by the other. A ball of red energy began to form in his palm. He looked at the Hollow, a stern expression crossing his face. "Sha- kka- HO!" Tamotsu said. The ball of energy tripled in size as it was launched from his palm. The Hollow moved to dodge, but the energy blast seared a section of its shoulder.

"A human that uses demon magic?" the Hollow inquired. "What are you, boy? Why do you persist?"

Tamotsu was gasping for air, but he spoke anyway. "I will not let you... hurt my friends," he said. "You will not hurt my friends."

The Hollow bellowed. "Friends, you say? Friends are meaningless. They are only obstacles to hold you back. To survive you must become stronger and destroy obstacles so nothing stands in your way!" The Hollow thrust its hand again. Tamotsu didn't have time to dodge. He was knocked into the wall and fell down face first. He struggled to get up, but fell again.

"Enough talk. I shall eat both of you Shinigami first. Then I shall eat the other who uses demon magic. I shall enjoy eating your souls!" The Hollow lunged its head toward Rangiku, who closed her eyes tight. The bite never came. Opening her eyes, she saw the Hollow stopped in its path. A red glow surrounded it. "What- What's happening?"

"No..." Tamotsu said. The glow around the Hollow grew brighter. Rangiku looked to her friend, finding that a wind had built up around him. Swirling blue energy began to emerge around his body. "NO!" he cried. The swirling energy surrounding him grew brighter, then burst into the night sky and illuminated the entire alley.

Hitsugaya stared, his eyes wide. "It... It can't be..." he said. Was he seeing what he thought he was?

"You will not hurt them!" Tamotsu cried out. His silhouette appeared from within the pillar of energy, he was standing now. "You will not hurt- MY FRIENDS!"

Tamotsu buckled, but remained standing. A thousand new images rushed into his mind, but he withstood them. _I remember now_, he thought. _I remember everything... I know who I am. I remember..._

The energy dispersed to reveal Tamotsu, standing tall and adorned fully in a Shinigami's uniform. A red-sheathed zanpakuto was tucked into his obi over his left hip. "Sorry about the delay, Captain. Dying can kind of put a damper on things, can't it?"

The Hollow roared and broke through the binding spell that held it. It lunged forward with one arm and attacked Tamotsu. Without moving, Tamotsu drew his zanpakuto and struck the Hollow's arm. The arm flew off and dissolved into nothing while the rest of the Hollow reared back in pain. Raising his left arm, Tamotsu thrust his hand forward and a shock wave caused the Hollow to be thrown back.

"Are you there, my friend?" Tamotsu asked as he held the zanpakuto close.

_I was always here for you_, the woman's voice said. _You remember now._

"We will fight together once again."

_I missed you._

"Let's go. Hinohebi!" Tamotsu thrust his zanpakuto and swung it over its head. The blade became elongated and flexible, becoming a whip. A six-inch black blade remained at the end of the whip. Sparks leapt from the walls of the alley as the blade skirted past them.

The Hollow regained its footing and began to run. "Tamotsu!" Rangiku cried out. When she looked back, Tamotsu was gone. Shunpo? No. She looked to find that Tamotsu had actually jumped over the Hollow's head and was spinning around for an attack. The whip stretched out and wrapped around the Hollow tightly. Tamotsu landed behind it and stood ready with the slack taken from the binding.

"What-" the Hollow started. "What the- What the hell are you?" The Hollow stared down at Tamotsu, who regarded it with no fear at all.

"I am Tamotsu Toshiyuki. Shinigami Reincarnate." With that, Tamotsu pulled hard on the whip. The binding cut through the Hollow in several places and reverted to its normal size at Tamotsu's side. The Hollow bellowed as its entire body dissolved. Tamotsu threw the whip over his left shoulder, allowing it to wrap around his body at an angle and under his right arm. Looking over to the still-trapped Hitsugaya, he raised his right arm and pointed two fingers. The blue lightning of Byakurai erupted and hit the resin encasing, causing it to crumble into powder.

Hitsugaya landed on his feet, then he and Rangiku both stared. There he was. Tamotsu Toshiyuki. Just as he had appeared so many years ago


	5. Return to Seireitei

**Reunion**

Rangiku could only stare. There he was, Tamotsu Toshiyuki, exactly as she had remembered him twenty-seven years ago. How was this possible? Had it ever happened before.

"Matsumoto," Hitsugaya said, brushing the remnants of the Hollow's resin from him. "This changes things. We need to get him to Seireitei as soon as possible."

"Right," Rangiku responded. They had intended on taking Tamotsu with them the following day some time, but this unexpected development made matters more pressing. It was one thing for someone to remember their life from Soul Society, something else entirely when they regain all of their memories along with their powers. Even his zanpakuto was the same. Hinohebi, the fire snake.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Tamotsu said. "Don't you think this is going a little bit too fast? I mean, can't this at least wait until morning?"

"Yeah," a woman's voice said. "Can't we wait until morning?" The trio looked down the alley to find the woman. Young looking dressed in a brown tunic with red tabards and long straight red hair.

"Hinohebi…" Hitsugaya sighed. "I'd forgotten you like to materialize yourself…" Back in Soul Society, ever since that first day after Tamotsu had attained Shikai, Hinohebi had a habit of materializing herself in a human form. There was no real explanation for it. But, annoying as it was, Hitsugaya admitted that it livened up the area around his office. Of course, they had to keep this bit of information secret from others in the squad as well as the other Captains.

"Yep, its me!" Hinohebi said, a wide grin spreading over her face. "I've waited twenty-seven years to see him again, and now you want to take him away to see the old man?"

"If by 'Old Man' you mean Captain Commander Yamamoto, then yes." Hitsugaya folded his arms. He had forgotten how hot-headed Hinohebi could be. But it made sense, actually. She was, after all, a fire-type zanpakuto spirit. "We should get going."

The three Shinigami began walking when Hinohebi spoke. "Um, guys? What do we do about this while we're away?" Hinohebi was standing next to Tamotsu's limp body. A black cat approached from the alley and began pawing at the hand.

"My- my body!" Tamotsu cried out. He had completely forgotten about that. When he regained his powers he never thought that his body and spirit would become separated. Running to the form on the ground, Tamotsu yelled at the cat which proceeded first to screech and then run away. Tamotsu all but dived into his body. He struggled to get up, wincing in pain.

"Careful, sweetie," Hinohebi said. "Your body went through a lot before you became Shinigami again, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. I remember." Tamotsu rotated his shoulders and stretched his neck from side to side. "Never had the chance to use a gigai before." Because of his ability, or lack thereof, in Soul Society, Tamotsu was never given the opportunity to go to the World of the Living and interact. For the five years he spent as a Shinigami in his past life, he had always stayed in or around Seireitei.

"Come on," Hitsugaya said. "Urahara's shop isn't that far from here."

"Uh, weren't you going to get some of the paintings to bring with us?" Tamotsu asked. Hitsugaya had wanted to get some of Tamotsu's paintings, either as evidence for Captain Commander, or possibly a bribe although Hitsugaya didn't seem the sort to do that.

"Very well. We shall take five of your paintings with us, then go to Urahara's shop tonight."

**Return to Seireitei**

It was late night by the time Tamotsu, Hitsugaya and Rangiku arrived to the shop of Kisuke Urahara. Hitsugaya was the one who knocked on the shop's door. Though the sign read "Closed," movement could be heard inside. Hitsugaya knocked again.

"My, my, who could be coming at this hour," a voice from inside said. "Can't you read that the shop is closed?" Kisuke opened the door, his blonde hair messy over his eyes. He still wore the green overcoat and wooden sandals, making clanking sounds that echoed as he walked. Kisuke's eyes grew wide at the sight of the four visitors. "Captain Hitsugaya. Rangiku-san. I guess this must be urgent for you to be waking me up like this. And who are these two?"

"Tamotsu Toshiyuki and Hinohebi," Hitsugaya responded.

"Hi," Hinohebi said, cheerily waving at Kisuke.

"Come in, come in," Kisuke said. "You must tell me what's going on." The group entered the shop and walked to the back where a small table was situated in the center of a meeting room. Tamotsu, Hinohebi and Rangiku stood while Hitsugaya and Kisuke seated themselves.

"We need to use your Senkaimon," Hitsugaya said. Kisuke's expression changed.

"Always straight to the point, Captain Hitsugaya? Wouldn't you like some tea first? And please, introduce me to these two newcomers. I haven't seen them before."

"Very well. The man is Tamotsu Toshiyuki. A Shinigami from several years ago, died and was reincarnated here as a human. He has regained his Shinigami powers. The woman is Hinohebi, the physical manifestation of his zanpakuto."

Kisuke's eyes became stern at the description. "Is that so?" he said, contemplating the situation. "So it would seem that you need me to take care of your gigai, and provide a means of transporting Tamotsu through the Senkaimon. Hinohebi should pass fine as she is already a spiritual being. Am I correct?"

"That's right," Hitsugaya said. He never blinked after his explanation, a testament to the seriousness of the situation. "Let me ask you something. As former leader of the Research and Development, have you ever heard of this happening before?"

Kisuke leaned back, his back arched as he looked at the ceiling for a moment. "Not to my recollection. Very well, I shall prepare the Senkaimon. Does Tamotsu-kun have a means of traveling? Or perhaps some way of traveling in his spiritual form?"

In response, Rangiku slipped on a blue glove with the image of a flaming skull on the top. She hit Tamotsu square in the chest, causing his body and spirit to separate. "How's that?" she asked.

"What did you do to me, Rangiku?" Tamotsu asked.

"I separated your body and spirit for you. Of course, Kisuke will have to care for your body as well while we're in Seireitei."

"My, my," Kisuke said, scratching the back of his head. "My closet's getting quite full as it is."

Rangiku pushed on Hitsugaya's head with her gloved hand and he, in turn, separated her from her Gigai.

"Now that's just disturbing," Tamotsu said. Kisuke opened a hall closet widely. Nearly ten gigai fell from the closet's interior, each one belonging to a different Shinigami. With what appeared to be no concern on his part, he began throwing the artificial bodies back into the closet. "Now that's very disturbing. Hey! Careful with my body!"

Kisuke pushed the bodies into the closet and closed the door. It bulged slightly, then settled. "Not to worry," Kisuke said. "It'll be just fine in there. Now, if you'll follow me downstairs I'll get that Senkaimon started up."

Expecting to be some type of darkened basement, Tamotsu was surprised to find that the "basement" was actually a large training area built to resemble a desert. The walls were painted to look like a cloudy sky, and there was a source of light that he couldn't find. The whole illusion was that of mid-day but he knew it was night outside.

"Because neither you nor Hinohebi have a Jigokuchō," Kisuke said as he approached what appeared to be a large stone frame, "you'll have to travel through the Precipice World."

"I've never had to travel between worlds before," Tamotsu said.

"Oh, its nothing to worry about. Just don't touch the sides of you'll get stuck forever. Good luck!"

A large man with black hair, glasses and a large handlebar mustache wearing a shop apron approached. "Shopkeeper, are we ready?"

"Yes, Tessai." The two men kneeled on either side of the pillar and placed their hands on the ground. The interior of the frame began to swirl, opening into what appeared to be a wormhole.

"Wow," Tamotsu said. "That thing looks like something out of Stargate."

"Let's go, Toshiyuki," Hitsugaya said. "And don't forget the paintings." Rangiku and Tamotsu each grabbed a type of carrying case, each one containing three paintings, and approached the Senkaimon. Hinohebi skipped giddily behind them.

"Hinobebi-san," Kisuke said just before they entered the swirling doorway. "If I may ask you something before you go."

"Huh?" Hinohebi said. "Well, um, okay. What is it?"

"Why is it that you are able to manifest yourself? Is it some outside influence?"

"Outside influence? He, he, he. You're so funny. I just come out because I feel like it."

"Hinohebi," Tamotsu said. "You can talk to him later. I think you're starting to annoy Captain Hitsugaya again."

"Oh, all right. Bye-bye, Kisuke! We'll be back." The group stepped into the portal, the light emitting from it brighter as each person passed through. Once everyone had passed, Kisuke and Tessai stood and the portal closed.

Kisuke stared at the now-empty frame of stonework "Shopkeeper, what is it?" Tessai asked.

"Interesting," Kisuke said, his normal cheerful expression now gone. "A reincarnated Shinigami with a zanpakuto who's spirit manifests itself at will. I'll have to look into this event further. But, nothing I can do about that now. I'm certain they'll be coming back again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some sleep to catch up on."

Tamotsu stopped as he saw the Precipice World. It was a long tunnel with almost no light, the purple walls moving as if they were made of slime.

"Toshiyuku," Hitsugaya said. "The Precipice World is not a place where you want to remain idle. The faster we move to the end, the better."

"How will we know when we get there?" Tamotsu asked. The group began to jog, matching Hitsugaya's pace.

"There is only one way to travel. When we reach the doorway at the other end, we will exit into the Soul Society. If Urahara's calculations were right, we should appear in morning at the regular Senkaimon."

_Such an eerie place_, Tamotsu thought. _Kisuke said we had to travel through here because I didn't have a Jigokuchō? I'll have to get one of those_.

"Can we hurry?" Hinohebi asked. "I don't like this place."

"If you don't like it," Hitsugaya said, "you can just go back into your zanpakuto."

"Oh, no. I've waited too long to come out again, I'm not going back in there for a while."

A beacon of light appeared at the end of the tunnel. "There it is," Hitsugaya said. The jog broke into a run.

"Head towards the light…" Tamotsu said. Hitsugaya turned and gave him a stern look. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

The group reached the entryway and sped through the light. A burst of pure white and they emerged in Seireitei, about a hundred feet above the ground where the Senkaimon was. All of them began to fall.

"Urahara!" Hitsugaya cried out. Immediately, Hitsugaya, Rangiku and Hinohebi formed a stable amount of reiatsu under their feet, allowing them to stand. Tamotsu still fell.

"Tamotsu!" Rangiku cried out. He was almost at the ground. Using Shunpo, Rangiku sped over and landed under Tamotsu, catching him in her arms. "I forgot you never actually learned how to stand in the air."

"Thank you, Rangiku," Tamotsu said. Rangiku let go and Tamotsu landed on his feet. The others in the group lowered themselves to the ground level. Within seconds, four members of the Kido Corps surrounded the group.

"Identify yourself," one of the masked figures said.

"Stand down," Hitsugaya responded. "They're all with me."

"Captain Hitsugaya. Lieutenant Matsumoto. I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you. Why did you not use the regular Senkaimon?"

"That is none of your concern. Let's go, Matsumoto."

The Kido Corps members stood at attention as Hitsugaya passed them. It had gone better than he expected, all things considered. They arrived just after dawn at the correct location, more or less. But now it was time to head straight to the matter at hand. Captain Commander Yamamoto should be in his office, so they would head straight there.

_The Captain Commander_, Tamotsu thought. _This is going to be interesting._


	6. The Past Revealed

**Captain Commander**

Captain Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto sat in his office looking over the recent paperwork he had received. He wanted to have regular updates from the remaining Captains of the Gotei 13 Court Guard Squads so he could stay up to date on their situations and affairs, always wanting to know of their current and past mission and the overall atmosphere of the squads. All of his work now was done solely with his right hand, having lost his left over a year ago with the battle against Aizen and the Arrancar.

For a thousand years, Yamamoto was head of the Gotei 13, the scars covering his body a testament of that lengthy experience. In that time, it was rare for him to be surprised about anything. He had seen much, and experienced far more than his fair share of battles.

He could feel the reiatsu approaching his door before the knock came. As a courtesy, he allowed them to knock. "Enter," Yamamoto said in his gruff voice. The large doors opened, Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya entered and was closely followed by his Lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto. The two of them were carrying some type of portfolio and appeared quite nervous while approaching.

"Captain Commander Yamamoto," Hitsugaya said, bowing his head in respect. "Matsumoto and I have discovered something in the World of the Living that we believe must be brought before you directly."

"Hmm..." Yamamoto responded. It was unlike Hitsugaya to approach him directly with matters. He could feel two other sources of reiatsu staying behind the door, out of his sight. They seemed strong, but as a sign of respect he allowed Hitsugaya to proceed.

Opening one of the portfolios, Hitsugaya pulled out a landscape painting of Seireitei. "This painting," he stated, "was found to be in the possession of the artist when we discovered it."

Yamamoto gazed at the painting. "Impressive artistic quality, I must say. But why the urgency?"

"These also were found." Hitsugaya and Rangiku pulled more paintings out. These were portraits of three Captains. "These paintings were created by a human."

Yamamoto's eyes opened slightly. "A human, you say?" he asked. This was indeed strange. He knew of humans with Spiritual Powers who were able to see the Captains in some of their exploits, but to have a painting of Seireitei as well? Very few humans knew of its existence, and could less than describe it. "This is troubling news, Captain Hitsugaya. May I assume the Spiritual Pressure from behind the door is the one who created these?"

"If I may ask, do you remember the names and faces of all those who have served under your command in the Gotei 13?"

"I do. What is the reason behind your question?"

Hitsugaya turned toward the door. "You may enter," he said. The two figures entered. One was a woman in a brown tunic and brown tabards which Yamamoto did not recognize. The other wore Shinigami robes and had a whip wrapped around his left shoulder. Yamamoto's eyes grew wide. That particular Shinigami he knew. But how was this possible? He died over twenty years ago...

Captain's Meeting

Shunsui Kyoraku, Captain of the 8th Division, sat on the grass under a cherry tree. His large straw hat covered his eyes as he chewed on a piece of grass. "Nice day, isn't it Jushiro?" he said. His long-time friend, Captain Jushiro Ukitake of the 13th Division, sat cross-legged in the shade.

"Be mindful, Shunsui," Ukitake said. "Its always calm like this before an approaching storm."

"You don't have to ruin the mood, ya know. I try to enjoy everything while I can."

"That's completely apparent." Ukitake looked up as a black swallowtail butterfly approached. "A Jigokucho?" Ukitake extended his fingers and the butterfly landed on it, flapping its wings slowly.

"What's the message?" Kyoraku said, not having moved the whole time.

Ukitake's eyes grew wide. "A Captain's meeting has been called. Its mandatory."

"Just when I was getting comfortable." Kyoraku stood and fixed his pink flower kimono, brushing off any debris that had collected while he was lying down. "We'd better get going, then."

In the 4th Division barracks, Captain Retsu Unohana rand down the hall with Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu by her side. Turning a corner in the courtyard, Hanataro Yamada turned to see the two of them running directly toward him.

"C- C- Captain!" Hanataro cried. The Captain and Lieutenant were able to avoid a full impact, but Hanataro's instincts drove him to self-preservation and he stumbled backward and fell over the guard rail of the walkway. He was clumsy, and he knew it, but it didn't ease the pain of falling all the time.

Isane stopped to assist Hanataro in regaining his footing. "Please, Hanataro," she said. "Try to be more careful."

"I'm sorry, I just didn't expect you to be running so fast." Hanataro brushed himself off and smiled at his Captain.

"Isane," Unohana said. "We shouldn't keep them waiting. I apologize to you, Hanataro."

"That's all right." A Jigokucho approached, the three Shinigami watched as it stopped in front of Hanataro's head. "For me?" he asked. "Well, okay." Lifting his finger, the Jigokucho landed and Hanataro's eyes grew wide.

"Strange that you should be getting a message from a Jigokucho," Unohana said. "What was it?"

"I- I've been requested to attend a meeting... With all the Captains and Lieutenants..."

**Captain's Meeting**

Within moments, all Captains and Lieutenants of the Gotei 13, save for Toshiro Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto, were gathered in their customary positions in an office reserved with the sole purpose of their gatherings. Though a few were annoyed, namely Kenpachi Zaraki of 11th Squad and Mayuri Kurotsuchi of 12th Squad, the rest waited in eager anticipation as to the reason of this sudden calling.

"You all must be wondering why I called such a meeting," Yamamoto said.

"I do wish you would say," Kurotsuchi said. "I was just on the verge of a very important discovery with a certain type of Hollow."

"Calm yourself, Captain Kurotsuchi. This could very well affect all that we thought we knew in Soul Society. First, I must emphasize what we know of the transfer of souls."

Captain Kyoraku tipped his hat as he responded. "When a person dies in the World of the Living," he began, "its soul sent to Soul Society by a Shinigami."

"And the soul that dies in Soul Society," Ukitake stated, "returns to the World of the Living while its physical being makes up the reiatsu of Soul Society. We've learned this from the first days in the Academy. Why bring it up now?"

"There was a recent incident in the World of the Living," Yamamoto said, "where it would appear that a human has regained his memories of living here in Seireitei." Surprise grasped the faces of many of the Captains and Lieutenants. "Not only that, but it would appear that he has regained his Shinigami powers, along with his original zanpakuto. Also, it seems that his zanpakuto has taken to manifesting itself outside of its sword form at will."

Kurotsuchi smiled in his devious manner whenever something amused him. "Interesting," he said.

Hanataro and Isane gasped, then exchanged glances. "Could it be?" Hanataro asked in a hushed tone. Isane only stood, nervously clutching the sides of her uniform.

"Captains Hirako, Mururama and Aikawa," Yamamoto said. "You would not know this Shinigami, but it is important that you remain. Enter!" The doors at the end of the room opened. The silhouettes of four people appeared. The first two were of Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Matsumoto. The other was a woman in a brown tunic, the fourth was a man dressed in Shinigami attire with a whip wrapped over his shoulder. All pairs of eyes, save for the Captains Yamamoto named, opened wide as they recognized the figure walking before them.

"T- Tamotsu!" Hanataro cried out, breaking the silence.

Tamotsu Toshiyuki stopped at the head of the Captain's line as Hitsugaya and Rangiku took their places. "Hey, everyone," Tamotsu said. "I, uh, guess I'm back." Hinohebi waved to everyone in an excited manner. She could finally walk around without the confines of the zanpakuto, even though Tamotsu advised against it. For some reason, nobody else did this time.

"I present to you," Yamamoto said, "former Third Seat of the 10th Division of the Gotei 13, Tamotsu Toshiyuki who died twenty-seven years ago in the protection against the Hollowfied Shinigami Fumio Tanaka. Hanataro Yamada, the reason you were called here as well was because you were familiar with Tamotsu while he was here."

"Hanataro," Tamotsu said. "Its good to see you." Glancing around and taking in the three new Captains who he couldn't name, Tamotsu's gaze fell on Captain Kurotsuchi. "C- C- Captain Kurotsuchi!"

Kurotsuchi's smile broadened. "It would seem your memories have come to you fully it seems."

"Oh, no!" Tamotsu cried out, pointing to Hinohebi. "You're not putting one of your creepy little fingers on her!"

"A materialized zanpakuto? I'm not interested in that anymore."

Tamtosu's shoulders sank and his jaw dropped in disbelief. "Huh?" was all he could mutter.

"You see, last year there was an incident involving the zanpakuto Muramasa who released all of our zanpakuto into a materialized form free of their swords and I was able to study some of them in great depth. But you on the other hand..." Kurotsuchi's smile broadened even further.

"Oh, no!" Hinohebi said, stepping between Kurotsuchi and Tamotsu. Her eyes blazed with fire and steam began to rise from her hands. "I'm not letting you get one of your creepy little fingers on my master! Right, Tamotsu? Uh, Tamotsu?" When Hinohebi turned around, Tamotsu was already halfway down the hallway leading outside with a dust trail following him.

"My, my," Kurotsuchi said, rolling his eyes and stepping back in line. "Some things never do change."

"Hey, Yama-jii," Kyoraku said. "What are we going to do about this then? Last I remember, he completely lost control of his reiatsu two times in close succession. Pretty scary, that was." Everyone thought back. It was true.

While Tamotsu was living there, though the reasons were unclear to many of them, Tamotsu's reiatsu release was able to be felt all over Seireitei despite him being several miles away. None who saw it could forget the pillar of blue light that illuminated the night sky and caused a large crater. Only Rangiku Matsumoto was close enough to see it in person, and she somehow managed to be unaffected by the release.

The second time was a few weeks later. Only a few members of the Gotei 13, including three Captains and two Lieutenants, were able to witness that expulsion. They had to erect barriers and increase their reiatsu to its fullest in order to withstand it. The second release had been too much for Tamotsu to manage, and the outburst caused his body to give out.

"I am aware of that, Captain Kyoraku," Yamamoto said. "It would appear that he will have no such outbursts. I shall explain the details as far as I am able to say later, but that will be later. As this is such a unique event, we must discuss the possible courses of action. Hanataro Yamada, as you were also close to Tamotsu Toshiyuki during his life here your input will also be required."

Hanataro nodded. Was he really that important that the Captain Commander would ask for him personally?

"Um, excuse me," Hinohebi said. "Since my master kind of ran out in a hurry, are you going to need me?"

"Hinohebi. Your place is next to your master's side. When the time comes for our decision, we will inform the both of you."

Hinohebi grinned broadly. "Okay. Bye, everyone!" With a quick curtsey, she began to skip down the hall and followed the trail of reiatsu Tamotsu had left.

"Now," Yamamoto said, his eyes returning to their normal closed position. "Let us begin."

**Past Revealed**

Tamotsu ran around a corner and sat against the wall to catch his breath. He never liked Captain Kurotsuchi, especially since he was always wanting to get a sample of Tamotsu for experimentation. What kind of experimentation? Tamotsu didn't want to find out.

"You really shouldn't run out on the Captain Commander like that," Hinohebi said. Tamotsu looked up and screamed.

"Gyah! Hinohebi! Dont- do that! How'd you catch up anyway?"

"I'm a zanpakuto spirit. I know where you are all the time."

"Could you go back into your sword? I'm dealing with enough as it is right now."

"Oh, fine. But we've got to do something together later."

"Very well." Hinohebi smiled before she began to glow. Dissolving into pure energy, Hinohebi flowed into the whip wrapped around Tamotsu. Tamotsu took a couple of deep breaths. _This was a lot to take in for one day_, he thought.

"Kiyoshi?" a deep voice said. Tamotsu looked up to see a giant of a man with pink hair.

"Whoa! Who are you?" Tamotsu struggled to his feet. Standing up, he barely rose above the man's waist.

"Kiyoshi, is that really you?" the man said. "Have you survived this long?"

_Kiyoshi? What was this guy talking about?_ Tamotsu waved his hands at the man. "I'm sorry, you must be mistaken. My name is Tamotsu Toshiyuki. I died here several years ago."

"Your name has changed, but your reiatsu has not. I know that reiatsu well. It is you, I know it is."

"Sorry, but do I know you?"

"Oh, do forgive me," the man said. For such a large stature, the man seemed so kind. "I should have introduced myself. I am Hachigen Ushoda, former Lieutenant of the Kido Corps."

"And how do you know me? Or how do you think you know me?"

"You were brought to me several years ago from Rukon district seventy-eight."

"Ha. You're wrong. I was raised in Rukon district thirteen!" That was obvious that the man called Hachigen didn't know what he was talking about. If he was raised in another district, he couldn't be whoever this Kiyoshi person was.

"Raised there, possibly," Hachigen said, his eyes slowly closing. "But you were not born there. Kiyoshi, don't you know who you are?"

Tamotsu was speechless. This man seemed hurt by the accusation. What did he know? Or rather, what did he think he knew? Was there something more to his life that he didn't know from Soul Society?

"If you want to remain oblivious to your past," Hachigen said, "I will not force you. But if you wish to know the truth, I can take you to a place that will prove to you what I say."

Prove he is telling the truth? Tamotsu didn't know how that was possible, but since he didn't want to risk running into Kurotsuchi again he may as well humor the man at least. "Fine," he said. "If you want to reveal the deep, dark secrets of my past go ahead."

Hachigen nodded solemnly and turned. "Follow me," he said.

The two walked for several minutes, neither one saying anything. _Apparently, this Hachigen guy is convinced I'm someone else_, Tamotsu thought. Finally, Hachigen stopped in front of a medium sized building in a section of Seireitei that appeared to be abandoned. Something happened here, Tamotsu could tell. A lingering reiatsu hung in the air. Something was familiar about it.

"It was over one hundred years ago," Hachigen said. "I had heard reports of an unusually strong reiatsu emanating from around District 78 in Rukongai. I found the source to be a small child. A boy, with such incredible reiatsu as I have never felt before from anyone outside of the Gotei 13. But the boy was unable to manage it. His own reiatsu was killing him. That boy was you."

Tamotsu nodded, not really caring about the story all that much.

"Go on. Test the reiatsu that still lies in this area."

Tamotsu knelt by a fallen pillar and reached out his hand. He could feel the reiatsu Hachigen spoke of. It seemed familiar somehow. Sifting through all the faces he knew of, he couldn't place it. It seemed to be closest to Rangiku, but something was off. He closed his eyes and concentrated harder. With sudden realization, he opened his eyes.

"You've figured it out?" Hachigen asked, clasping his hands slowly together.

"It- its _my_ reiatsu..." Tamotsu said. "But, how? I've never been here before."

"You did come here. You were brought here by myself and your sister."

"Wait a minute. I have a sister now?"

Hachigen sighed. "She was the only one who was able to withstand the full power of your reiatsu. A type of resonating frequency, I believe. I had to place a seal on you in order to protect you from your own power."

"That explains it..." Tamotsu said slowly. "I always felt my senses were numb. I reacted slowly, except for when in Bankai. But after that, my reiatsu exploded. The release must have weakened your seal and allowed my power to flow freely. Then, after exiting, the seal tried to reform itself. But my reiatsu still tried to escape."

Hachigen smiled slightly. "So, you believe me now?"

"It has to be true. There's no other explanation. Just when I thought I knew about my past life..."

Hachigen lowered his head slightly. "I know this is difficult for you-"

"Hachigen," Tamotsu interrupted. "You spoke of a sister. Where is she? Maybe she could answer some of the questions."

"I doubt that. Soon after the seal was placed, both you and all records of your existence disappeared."

"Hachigen, please. I've already had one identity crisis this week. Just tell me. What's my name?"

Hachigen sighed deeply and closed his eyes briefly before he spoke. "Matsumoto," he said. "Your name is Kiyoshi Matsumoto.


	7. Reunion

**Reunion**

Tamotsu stood on the bridge overlooking the stream that ran through the Squad 10 barracks. He always came here before when he was thinking of something. _Your name is Kiyoshi Matsumoto_. That is what the man named Hachigen had told him. It had to be true, Tamotsu was sure of it. But this opened up several more questions that had to be answered. Why was he taken from Seireitei? Who did it? And why? Most importantly, what was he going to say to Rangiku? He didn't have time to plan, as he felt her presence approaching.

"There you are," Rangiku said. "We've been looking all over for you. The Captains have almost come to a conclusion on what to do about you. Are you all right?"

Tamotsu looked down at the passing water. So calm and tranquil. Could his mind ever be like that now?

"You can talk to me, you always did back when you lived here."

Tamotsu sighed. He had to tell her. "Rangiku, what am I to you?" he asked.

"What do you mean? You're my friend. You always have been. Why do you ask?"

"I think there's something more to it."

Rangiku stood next to Tamotsu. What was on his mind? He seemed so excited to be here this morning. What could have changed? "What is it?" she finally asked.

"I think our relation together goes deeper than we thought. Much deeper."

"What do you mean?" Rangiku was beginning to worry. He had never brought up something like this before.

"We're drawn together by something neither of us can explain," Tamotsu said, still looking at the stream. "We've been brought together not once, but twice. Our reiatsu are so similar that they resonate, and you were the only one to withstand it fully when I lost control while living here."

"Tamotsu, what are you saying?"

"I met a man. Hachigen. He said that I had a seal placed in order to protect me from the power of my own reiatsu. It was my own power I wasn't able to withstand, not Hinohebi's. He said my name is…" Tamotsu choked. He had to force the words out. He had to do this. "He said my name is… Kiyoshi… Matsumoto. Rangiku, you're my sister."

Rangiku's eyes grew wide. Kiyoshi? Could it be? Her knees felt weak and she leaned against the railing for support. "Kiyoshi…" she said. "Little Kiyoshi? But… how?"

"I don't know."

"After I graduated, I looked for you. But they said there was no record of you. What happened?"

Tamotsu sighed. "There's only one way I can think of. We have to go to where I grew up. Rukongai District 13. I was raised there. If they still live there, they may be able to answer our questions."

"If who lives there?"

"My family. I knew I was adopted into their family, but I never bothered to ask where I came from."

Rangiku nodded. If this really was her younger brother, she needed to know. She had trusted the man Hachigen to care for him after placing the seal. He said he would keep Kiyoshi safe inside of Seireitei. But soon after that, they got involved in some type of experiment by former Captain Aizen and were banished along with Kisuke Urahara. It had to have been soon after that when Kiyoshi disappeared. It was devastating to her. She had to know.

Tamotsu and Rangiku walked all the way to District 13. They could have gotten there faster, as Tamotsu was still unable to use Shunpo he would have ridden on Rangiku's back like he did back in his previous life. But both of them had too many emotions to cover.

The majority of the journey was spent in silence. Not that there was nothing to say, but neither of them felt like speaking on such sensitive matters until they learned the whole truth.

Hours later, Tamotsu stopped outside of a small house seated on the edge of a line of trees. A quaint porch was situated on the front of the house, an older woman was rocking back and forth in a type of rocking chair. She stopped when she noticed the two Shinigami slowly approaching.

"Oh, visitors," she said, standing up. "I must apologize, I haven't cleaned up." Brushing off her clothes and fixing her clothing, she stopped when she noticed who was approaching. "Tamotsu? Is it you?"

Tamotsu stopped just shy of the porch and looked at the woman. "Hello, Auntie," he said. The woman rushed down and embraced Tamotsu. The two held each other in their arms for a moment and then released so they could look each other in the eyes.

"Tamotsu, it is you. I thought you were dead."

"Yeah, I get that a lot lately," Tamotsu responded. "Auntie, this is Rangiku Matsumoto. She is my lieutenant in the Tenth Squad. Rangiku, this is my Auntie."

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Rangiku. Oh, I'm sorry. Lieutenant Matsumoto."

Rangiku smiled. "That's fine," she said. "I am sorry, but we are here on a mission."

"An official mission, you say?"

"No," Tamotsu said. "A personal one. Auntie, I know I've never asked this of you before but something has come up. I need you to tell me where I came from."

The smile faded from the woman's face. "I see," she said. "I've been expecting this to happen. Please, come in. I don't have much to offer in terms of comfort in my home, but I just put some tea on."

Tamotsu and Rangiku nodded in acceptance and entered. There wasn't much in terms of furnishings in the house's three rooms, but it was homely. The two visitors seated themselves on the floor in front of a short table. The woman entered from another room, fondly holding a small blanket and a bundle of what appeared to be documents.

"I found you on the doorstep one night," she said. "You were wrapped in this blanket. This packet was sitting next to you. I never opened it, I thought that you should be the one to do it." Handing the packet to Tamotsu, she seated herself on the opposite side of the table. Tamotsu looked at the top, which held a letter. The Japanese kanji written on it said _Protector of Wisdom_. It was the meaning of his name.

Tamotsu slowly opened the letter. It was not the best written, as if someone young had done it. And Tamotsu began to read:

_I don't know when you will read this, or even if it will matter when you do. All I know is that I had to protect you from someone. You have a great power about you, but it seems to be sealed now. The man I know will try to take that power from you for himself. He would kill you without hesitation if he needed to. I made a promise to myself that I would punish this man, as he has injured your sister as well._

_In order for the protection to be complete, I had to steal the documents of your existence from Seireitei, the city of the Souls. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I hope the two of you find each other someday, and should I be able to make your reunion faster I will do everything in my power to do so. Until then, I am putting you in the care of someone anonymous, so they will not be able to track you. Please forgive me for taking you away. I'm sorry._

_Gin Ichimaru_

Tears welled up in Rangiku's eyes as she opened the packet and read the name. _Official Seireitei Records: Kiyoshi Matsumoto_. She remembered Gin's dying words. "_I'm sorry I couldn't return what was taken from you…_"

Tamotsu, too, remembered something Gin Ichimaru had once told him in Soul Society. It was after he had recovered from the first time he released his Bankai. "_Please be careful. It would make me very sad if anything were to happen to Matsumoto._" He had always thought that meant to take care of Rangiku, that another outburst might injure her. But Gin had meant for him to be careful for himself. Gin knew who he was.

"Did you find what you needed?" the woman asked.

"I did," Tamotsu said. "Thank you." Tamotsu gathered the documents and stood, soon joined by Rangiku. With a final farewell, the two began walking back to Seireitei. Neither of them could stop smiling. Lost siblings now found.

"You know," said Rangiku once they were clear of anyone else within earshot, "I've been thinking it may be best to keep this between ourselves. This revelation could cause more problems in Soul Society than it's worth and personally I don't want to have to deal with it."

Tamotsu laughed. "I know what you mean," he said. "I think I'll stick with the name Tamotsu in honor of what Captain Ichimaru did. What happened to him anyway?"

Rangiku looked down, her smile faded. "He… also died in my arms."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Rangiku's smile returned as she turned to face her new-found brother. "It's all right," she said. "This is supposed to be a happy time for us. That reminds me. We need to hurry back." Rangiku crouched down and Tamotsu climbed onto her back.

"Didn't think I'd ever be doing this again," Tamotsu said. He had taken to riding on Rangiku's back during his Soul Society life since he could never use Shunpo. He still couldn't manage it, but it did feel good to have the relationship of friendship return. But it was more than that this time. She wasn't just his friend. She was his sister.

**Return to Service**

Tamotsu stood before the Captain's meeting room as Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto spoke. "Tamotsu Toshiyuki," he said in his gruff, raspy voice. "So far as we know, you are the first of the Shinigami to be reincarnated in the Human World and regain memories of your life here. This has led us to believe that there are others like yourself in that world. As Captain Commander, I hereby assign you to seek out and assist those who, like yourself, have regained their memories of their lives here."

"An assignment?" Tamotsu asked. "Sure, I'd love to. But it would appear that the official records state that I'm dead and thereby not accountable by your request."

"Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya has already completed the paperwork to return your status to _alive_ and has reinstated your position as Third Seat in the Tenth Division."

Tamotsu looked down and to the side. _Aww, crap_, he thought. He thought he had found a loophole to the request, but good old Hitsugaya always had paperwork for everything… "Very well," he said after a moment. "But I would like to make a request, if I may."

"We shall hear you out," Yamamoto said. All eyes were on Tamotsu.

"I would like to request that Lieutenant Matsumoto accompany me on this assignment." Shocked expressions spread across the room. Was he serious to ask that a Lieutenant accompany him?

Yamamoto looked deep into Tamotsu's eyes then sifted his gaze to Hitsugaya. "Captain Hitsugaya. As this is your Lieutenant who will be going, do you accept this request?"

Hitsugaya stood silent for a moment and looked at Matsumoto before answering. "I approve. They work well together, and it would be advisable to have someone with high experience for protection as Toshiyuki has only five years."

"Very well," Yamamoto stated. "Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto shall accompany Third Seat Tamotsu Toshiyuki until such time as she deems he is worthy to continue the task himself." Striking his staff on the floor, the decree was made official.

Three hours later, Rangiku and Tamotsu were sitting in the park at Karakura Town. Rangiku was in her gigai, while Tamotsu took his normal body. The sun was close to setting, the clouds turning orange in the fading light.

"You know," Rangiku said, "the clouds looked that way over Seireitei when you died there."

"That means they looked that way when I was born here," Tamotsu responded. Rangiku smiled. "We have to look at this in another perspective now. This is an endless cycle of rebirth, not death."

"You're right. We're taught that from our time in the Academy, but nobody ever takes note of it seriously. Until now, that is. So, who do you think we'll find?"

"I don't know. We'll have to find prospects, test them, and then see if they are indeed Reincarnates or just someone with high Spiritual powers. Let's just enjoy tonight, though."

After a moment longer, the bright oranges of the sunset faded into dull grays. It was a non-spoken agreement that said it was now time to leave.

Standing up, Rangiku stretched. Then suddenly, something hit her leg. Looking down, she was surprised to see a small boy, no older than two years in age, looking up at her. He had straight white hair and his eyes were mostly closed. He looked up at Rangiku, then smiled and giggled. "Gin?" Rangiku said.

"Eiji," a woman said, running up to the boy. Picking him up, she looked at Rangiku. "I do apologize. Eiji is always running off like that without a sound." The boy named Eiji looked at Rangiku and giggled again. "Well, I'm surprised. He really seems to like you."

Rangiku smiled. "Yes. Yes, he does." The woman turned and walked off, the boy waving as they left.

"Gin Ichimaru?" Tamotsu asked.

"I believe so. He's the right age. But the woman said his name was Eiji. That makes me wonder."

"Wonder about what?"

"When a soul dies and is reborn, I guess it's only natural for them to be born under a new name. If that's true, why did you keep your name you lived with from Soul Society?"

**Twenty Six Years Ago**

Captain Gin Ichimaru walked down the street of Karakura Town. It was night. He had been sent there on a routine mission, but something distracted him. He felt an outburst of reiatsu that seemed strangely familiar to him. Deciding to investigate, he found himself walking down a darkened alley.

_Hollows have been here recently_, he thought. He could feel the remnants of their presence all around. Looking up, he saw a house with a hole blown through the roof. Someone was inside, he could feel it. Jumping up to the second story balcony, he peered inside the window. The room was dark, and he could see two figures lying on the floor.

Gin opened the window and walked inside. There, on the floor, a man and a woman lay. Ghastly wounds covered their backs and sides. He could feel no reiatsu from them. They were dead, obviously a Hollow attack. So where were the Hollows? And there seemed to be another reiatsu that he could feel. It was familiar to him. Something he had felt recently.

A baby began to cry. It was under the woman. Moving the woman's body aside, a small boy lay. He was only a couple of months old. Picking him up, Gin then knew why the reiatsu felt familiar. "Kiyoshi…" he said. It was him. Kiyoshi Matsumoto, who had lived in Soul Society under the alias Gin had given him of Tamotsu Toshiyuki, the Protector of Wisdom.

Gin held the infant close, the crying turning into a soft whimpering. "Don't worry, Kiyoshi," he said. "I kept you safe once before."

Using Shunpo, Gin traveled to an orphanage. Cliché, he thought as he lowered the basket holding the baby Kiyoshi onto the doorstep. Writing a simple inscription of _Tamotsu Toshiyuki_, he rang the doorbell and stepped back. A moment later, the door opened and an elderly man looked out.

"Hello?" the man called. "Is anyone there?"

Even though Gin was in plain view, the man lacked any Spiritual powers and was unable to see him. Gin waited until the man found the basket.

"Well, hello there little one. Why are you all alone? What's this? Tamotsu Toshiyuki… Is that your name? Anyway, we should get you inside."

Gin watched as the door closed. He looked down and clenched his haori. "One day, Rangiku," he said. "One day, I will return your brother to you. He was taken once by me to protect him, and taken from you again when he protected you. I swear I will do all that I can to return what was taken from you."


	8. The Search Begins

Part II: The Gathering

Masaru Rin sat in the hotel, lying on his bed. At age thirty-eight, he was originally from Sendai. He had recently been sent on a forced vacation from his investigation force. Lately, he had been having strange dreams and images that affected his work performance to a degree where he was deemed unfit.

He had come to Karakura Town the week before. It seemed quiet enough. He thought he could possibly move here. But there was a strange sensation to this place he couldn't quite grasp. It seemed nice on the surface, but something was bothering him. Strange noises he heard and nobody else did. Strange transparent beings seemed to haunt him. Was he going mad?

Only a couple of days ago, he happened by an art shop. Feeling inclined, he entered with the intent of just browsing. He didn't appreciate art too much, but it had an effect on him to keep him grounded.

About to leave, he noticed a young man leaving. He had seen the man enter a few minutes before, a memory due to his training in the investigation force. The shopkeeper brought out three paintings of people wearing strange black robes. One caught his eye immediately. Not knowing why, he was drawn to the figure on the canvas. A seemingly young woman with two braids in an action pose. On her right middle finger was what appeared to be some type of jewel or finger armor that was popular among certain people, attached to a type of bracer which was striped like a hornet.

Masaru purchased the painting immediately. He didn't even bother to check the price before doing so. What was he going to do with it now? He couldn't mount it in the hotel. He turned to look at the image again. Who was that woman? Why did her image have such an effect on him? And why did the painting's title send chills down his spine? It seemed a good title, even if a bit dark. _Sting all enemies to death_. What did that mean?

Preparation

Tamotsu walked into the meeting room of Urahara's shop. He was in his normal body, relieved to find that nothing had been altered on his visit to Soul Society. Urahara was sipping some tea, sitting cross-legged on the floor. "Urahara," Tamotsu said. "I need to speak with you for a moment."

"Ah, Toshiyuki," Urahara said, looking up with his typical large smile. "Of course, of course. What can I do for you?"

"I need to know how I can return to Shinigami form at will. They decreed a Combat Pass was unnecessary, as I am not a representative human. It hadn't occurred to me until now what I should do. Are there other means?"

Urahara finished sipping his tea and stood, his wooden sandals making a klocking sound as they hit the floor. "Yes, yes. There are several means of having your Shinigami form separate. I doubt a forced separation would be acceptable, seeing as how that seemed to take a toll on you."

"Don't remind me..."

"Well, Rangiku has a glove that will forcibly separate your body and spirit. But what to do should she not be around? I suppose a Gikongan would be fine. I'll have to check my stock to see if I have any to spare."

"Gikongan? What's that?"

"Sorry, I forgot you never came here before as a Shinigami. Gikongan are artificial souls that take care of a Shinigami's gigai while in the world of the living. Basically, your soul goes out and theirs goes in. I'll be right back."

Urahara opened a sliding door and exited. _An artificial replacement soul in my body?_ Tamotsu thought. He wasn't exactly sure he liked the idea, but if its what the Shinigami did then it should be fine. Urahara seemed respectable enough.

"Hello, is anyone here?" Rangiku called as she entered Urahara's shop.

"In here, Rangiku," Tamotsu answered. "Where have you been? I've been trying to work something out for my Shinigami form."

Rangiku entered, holding a small stack of cards. "While I was stationed here, the Shinigami Women's Association asked if I could do something to raise some funds for them. So, I went out to a photographer and decided maybe we could sell some pictures. What do you think?"

Tamotsu looked at the cards, then immediately turned red. They were all images of Rangiku, sporting flirtatious poses and wearing all manner of different types of clothing. With each new image, Tamotsu could feel himself getting brighter and brighter red. He wasn't sure of it, but it even felt like steam was actually coming out of his ears.

"The photographer said I've got the natural looks and talent. He even offered me a job as a model. What do you say? Aww, you're turning bright red. That means they're perfect!"

Tamotsu turned to Rangiku sharply as his grip tightened. "Rangiku, what are you thinking showing these to me? You're my sister for crying out loud!"

Rangiku smiled as she took the images from Tamotsu. "Yep. And as your big sister I have a right to my own job. You've got your income, now I've got mine."

"Yeah, but- but- This? Besides, I don't think it'll be a good idea to put on your resume that you're over a hundred years old..."

Rangiku smiled and waved her hand at the idea. "Oh, we don't need to let them know about that little detail. What do you think? Thirty-five maybe?"

Tamotsu looked down and shook his head. "Typical woman, sister. Typical woman."

Urahara walked in at that moment, a large smile on his face. "Good news," he said, holding up what appeared to be a type of candy dispenser. "We had one left. It's Pupples! You're quite lucky for me to have this one, its the third most popular in Soul Society." Urahara handed the dispenser to Tamotsu. It was a short cylinder with a top that was a white furry dog wearing a graduation cap. "Just press the top and the pill pops out. Swallow it and the artificial soul will take over your body while your soul can go about Shinigami duties. Go on, give it a try."

Tamotsu was unsure about the idea, but decided to go along with it anyway. He pressed the top of the dispenser and a small green pill popped out of the dog's mouth. Swallowing it, he felt a strange sensation. It was almost like the forced separation he experienced, only more tingly. With a flash of light, his spirit-self was thrown forward. There he was, dressed in full Shinigami garb and Hinohebi wrapped around his shoulder. Looking back to his body, he was still nervous about it when it began to move on its own.

Pupples looked up at Tamotsu from his body and smiled. "Ah, greetings my good chaps," the Tamotsu-Pupples said in a proper English accent. "Truly an honor to be under your service." Testing the new body, Pupples looked over and examined the clothing. "Though your current manner of dress, I might say, could use a more professional touch. Have you anything from more upper class standards?"

Tamotsu turned red at the comment. "Hey, how I dress is none of your concern. You're a temporary replacement in my body, your job is just to keep it safe."

"Oh, do forgive my rash comments. You see, this is my first time in a physical body. I will take more care in the comments I choose in the future, master."

"Okay, I've had enough for now." Tamotsu stepped back into his body. Another flash of light, and now in his own form again he spit out the green pill and replaced it in the dispenser. "That's supposed to be the third most popular one?"

Urahara could only smile. "Well, the two of you should probably get going about your duties then."

"About that," Tamotsu said, approaching Urahara. "I wanted to know if you had any means of testing people here to see if they would be Reincarnates."

"What did you have in mind?" Urahara asked, his expression more solemn now that the conversation had taken a serious turn.

"I have an idea. First of all, we would have to find out if they indeed have or are regaining their Spiritual Powers. Next, determine if they remember Seireitei. That was one of the first things I began painting when my memories were returning. Third, if they are Reincarnates, they should be able to remember which Captain they served under. Make sure it couldn't be coincidence. After that is determined, we can check the records back in Soul Society."

Urahara pulled a fan out from behind him and began to tap it in his hands. "My, my. You've certainly thought this through. A series of three tests. Each one determining something more specific about a possible past life. Very well. I'll see about coming up with something."

"Urahara, just one more thing. How am I supposed to pay you for the supplies I'm getting?"

"No need to worry about that. This is a direct order from Soul Society. Besides, this could be considered an exchange for allowing me to take part in it. As you know, I was formerly the head of Research and Development, so the knowledge of what we discover would be more valuable than mere tangible funds."

"Sounds good. Let's go, Rangiku. I've got an idea where to start looking."

Rangiku looked confused. "Leave already? You're suddenly taking this seriously. You never used to take missions serious like this."

"Things have changed, Rangiku. I remember what it was like going through the remembrance process. It wasn't easy. I had you to talk to, but I don't want the others to be alone in this."

"That's true," Rangiku said. She remembered how scared Tamotsu was while remembering things he couldn't explain. She couldn't stand to see him like that, and it had brought tears to her own eyes. "So, where did you want to start looking?"

"There are three Institutes in Karakura. We'll start at the closest one, posing as researchers."

"What kind of Institute is this?"

"Where else would someone go when they're having a crisis like I did? The Mental Institution."

The Search

One hour later, Tamotsu and Rangiku arrived at their first location. After a quick stop by a used clothing store they both now wore what appeared to be professional looking business suits. Tamotsu sported a black suit with a white shirt and a black tie with a simple pattern, Rangiku found a woman's business suit that included a skirt and long jacket. They would need these in order for their plan on finding other Reincarnates at the Institution to work.

Stepping inside and acting like they knew exactly what they were doing, despite the nagging nervousness both obviously felt, they approached the front desk. The receptionist, a middle-aged woman that looked like she wanted to be anywhere but behind the desk, greeted them with a straight face. "May I help you?" she asked.

Tamotsu stepped forward, maintaining his disposition and spoke. "Yes, I'm Professor Toshiyuki and this is Doctor Matsumoto. We were wondering if by chance we could speak to the manager on duty?"

"Maybe," the receptionist said, unimpressed. "What's this about?"

"We are conducting a study on a particular type of mental illness and would like to ask if any of the patients here exhibit any of the characteristic symptoms."

"Another wack-job study, huh? One moment." The receptionist stood and left the room. Rangiku quickly turned to Tamotsu.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, her tone hushed. "You said discreet, and this is anything but."

"How else do you expect us to get inside? Ask for a tour? You can't exactly use your womanly woes to get us in this place in particular. Just work with me here."

The receptionist returned, sporting the same discouraged expression, as Tamotsu and Rangiku quickly recomposed themselves. A thin man followed her out of the doorway. "I'm Doctor Ifukube, manager of this institution," the man said. "Could I ask exactly what type of study your are looking for?"

"Why, certainly," Tamotsu answered. "We are focusing on a specific type of mental ailment which encompasses hallucinations and belief in past lives."

"I see..." Ifukube said. "Well, then. If you would follow me into my office we can discuss this study of yours." He motioned for Tamotsu and Rangiku through the door. They followed the man to an office down a hallway. There were several of the patients in a commons area behind a pane of glass. Tamotsu kept his senses sharpened to see if any of them exhibited a high reiatsu level. None did.

"Please, step into my office." Ifukube opened a door with his name labeled on it and the two visitors entered. "Have a seat," he said as he sat down behind his desk.

"I appreciate you bringing us back here, Dr. Ifukube," Tamotsu said as he and Rangiku sat down.

"If I may say," Ifukube said, leaning forward on his desk, "the two of you are completely full of crap. That's the suit I donated to the thrift store last week, and the two of you don't have the presence of professional doctors."

Tamotsu sighed deeply, then threw his hands up. "Guilty as charged," he said. "But if I may ask, why did you invite us back here?"

"You seem to be looking for something very specific, I gather that much from the two of you. Are you serious in what you are looking for?" Ifukube's tone seemed sincere. Did he know something?

"Yes," Tamotsu responded, leaning forward. "We are sincere. We've been sent on a mission to seek out certain individuals, and the types of conditions would most likely land someone in an institution like this one."

Ifukube leaned back in his chair and folded his fingers over one another. "I see," he said. "Your name. Toshiyuki. Would that by any chance be Tamotsu Toshiyuki?"

Tamotsu was shocked. How did this man know who he was? "Y- Yes sir," he said. "I am Tamotsu Toshiyuki. May I ask how you know my name?"

Ifukube stood and walked over to a closet and unlocked it with a key on his belt. Opening the door, he pulled out what appeared to be a canvas. "I purchased one of your paintings some time back. The man in it looked familiar, but I could never place the face anywhere I could remember. Tell me the truth. And remember, I'm a real Doctor. I'll know if you're lying. Who is this man?"

Unravelling the protective cloth from the painting, one of Tamotsu's Shinigami paintings was revealed. A man with a wide straw hat wearing a pink flower kimono was resting under a cherry tree that was in full bloom. Tamotsu sighed. There was no point in hiding it.

"Shunsui Kyoraku," Tamotsu said. "Captain of the Eighth Division of the Gotei Thirteen."

"Lazy and loves his sake as much as women?" Ifukube asked.

"Yeah, that's him," Rangiku said. "How do you know?"

"I thought it was just my job getting to me. Its not easy working with mentally ill people. These hallucinations you mentioned as one of the symptoms. This I assume is being able to see things that others cannot? Spirits, maybe?"

"You've experienced this as well?"

"I have. At least I know I'm not crazy myself now, I was actually considering seeing a doctor myself."

The wall on the side of the room suddenly collapsed, an unearthly howl sounded as a Hollow pushed its way through. Rangiku and Tamotsu dodged the debris that crumbled, Ifukube was sent flying into the wall.

"Ifukube!" Tamotsu cried.

"Damn," Ifukube said. "And I thought you were just in my head!"

Tamotsu pulled out his Pupples dispenser and swallowed the pill. In a flash of light, his Shinigami form left his body and leapt in front of the Hollow. The Hollow pushed at Tamotsu, driving him backward. Struggling against the Hollow's physical strength, a thought suddenly came to his head. "Hado 11: Tsuzuri Raiden!" Tamotsu cried.

Yellow electricity flowed all over the Hollow's body. It howled and let go, stepping back. Using this to his advantage, Tamotsu loosened the whip wrapped around his body and cracked it once. The Hollow lunged its arm forward, to which Tamotsu wrapped the whip around.

"Burn," Tamotsu said. The whip erupted into fire and burned through the arm of the Hollow. It cried in pain and lunged its head forward, jaws open wide. Spinning around, Tamotsu swung the whip full force and cut through the Hollow's torso. A shock wave of energy erupted from the force and created a hole in the ceiling. The Hollow stood motionless for a moment, then dissolved into nothing.

Wrapping the whip around his body, Tamotsu turned to Dr. Ifukube. "Are you all right, Doctor?" he asked. Ifukube stood and stared at the wall.

"Yes, I'm fine," Ifukube said.

The receptionist ran into the office and gasped when she saw the destruction. "Doctor!" she said. "What happened?"

Ifukube brushed himself off and straightened his tie. "Nothing to worry about, we're fine," he said. "Cooling system must have overloaded. Did we ever find out how old that system was?"

"No, we didn't. I'll check to see if our insurance covers that." The receptionist left and could be heard running down the hall.

"So, it seems you and I are the same," Tamotsu said. "Though your powers have not fully returned, your memories are slowly coming back."

"I am sorry, Toshiyuki," Ifukube said. "I may have lived that life once before, but that is not my life now. I thank you for coming here. I am sorry to say that none of my patients exhibit the same conditions. I do appreciate what you are doing, but I am now Doctor Ifukube. This is my life, and I cannot live from the past."

"I understand. Please, don't hesitate to look me up should anything else arise. Also, I'll bring some items in to prevent any more Hollow attacks on your facility."

"Thank you. I will. And good luck on your endeavor. I'm sure you would make a great Doctor. You have helped me. Go and help others now." Ifukube extended his hand, which Tamotsu took as they shook hands as gentlemen. "And tell Captain Kyoraku about me. My name there was Yuichi Nakamura."

"Such drastic measures," Pupples said. "My master, will you always call me out in such dire circumstances? I find that most distasteful. And just look at the damage caused to this new suit."

Tamotsu only shook his head. Stepping into the body, there was the customary flash of light and he spit out the green pill. With a final nod, he and Rangiku left the office. It was a lucky break for them, finding a Reincarnate on their first day. Even if he did not wish to rejoin the Gotei Thirteen. It was still promising. But he knew that not all of them would be so easy to find. Or so ready to accept the truths of their past lives..


	9. The Weight of Reality

Realization

Tamotsu sat in his bed at the apartment. He was restless. They had found one Reincarnate, but it seemed almost too convenient. He would have to do some research into the history of that Institute. There was something he missed. All that time, he was looking for the reiatsu of ones similar to him. But there were others he had missed. Spirits that had become linked to the Institute and refused to leave? And that Dr. Ifukube didn't seem too terribly surprised when the Hollow broke through. _I thought you were only in my head_, he had said. What else did he know?

Looking at the clock, Tamotsu found it was only 4:00 am. Standing up, he worked his way over to a blank canvas. He couldn't get back to sleep. So, he would paint. There was a lot of work to do, and he would take more of the paintings to the shop again tomorrow. That seemed to be the catalyst of remembering, as it was for himself meeting Rangiku again. Sure, there could be powers awakened, but upon visual cues the memories would return.

He had asked Rangiku to come, not only since she was his sister and they held a strong bond, but because he needed the support of someone else in Soul Society should something go wrong. She always seemed to avoid work and spend a lot of time drinking and shopping, but she was a great strategist and warrior when the situation called for it. He couldn't have asked for a better friend.

Beginning on the blank canvas, Tamotsu gathered paint on the brush and began to stroke the canvas. He didn't know what he would do this time, he usually didn't. The images just came to him. The sun wouldn't come up for a few hours, and that would bring a new day. Days had new meaning to Tamotsu now. Like a new life. His past lives... How many of them would he remember? Who was he before? The full impact of his situation was beginning to sink in. And he wouldn't be the only one...

The Dojo

Tatsuki Arisawa stood over the fallen student at her dojo. He was the fifth one she'd taken down in the past five minutes. "Come on!" she cried. "Is that all you can do? If you're ever going to want to advance you'll have to do better than that!"

"I'm sorry, Sensei Tatsuki," the student said as he stood and bowed to her. "But we just can't match your skill level. Go a little easier on us, please."

"If you want to get better you'll have to push yourself. All of you, horse stance!" All the students groaned as they assumed the strong horse-stance position. It was simple enough to assume the stance, but prolonged time in the position was strenuous and Tatsuki usually used this as an endurance exercise.

"Sensei Tatsuki," a man called from the edge of the training mat. "May I see you in my office?"

"Of course, Sensei Hajime," Tatsuki responded. She ran to the office and took one last look to make sure all the students remained in the position. They knew they had to remain in that position until one of the Senseis relieved them.

Sensei Hajime was sitting in the office chair by the time Tatsuki entered. "Have a seat," he said. Obeying her Sensei, Tatsuki sat down in the opposite chair. "Tatsuki, may I remind you that the reason I placed you as assistant instructor here was to help improve the students and not yourself?"

"What?" She was shocked. Was her Sensei saying she wasn't doing an adequate job? "I do help them. I make them strive to become stronger."

"Take a look at them, Tatsuki. Does it look like they're enjoying themselves? Does it look like they want to become stronger in this way?" Tatsuki looked out the office window. All of the students' postures had faltered. One fell down, then righted himself again, his legs shaking. "The students come here because they want to, and they should return because they want to. They should strive to become stronger on their own terms, not because you want them to. I'm going to have to ask you to leave for the day. I shall finish this lesson."

Tatsuki's heart skipped a beat. Her Sensei was relieving her of her duty? She was striving to make them become stronger. She wanted them to become strong like she was. She wanted someone to challenge her skills. Bowing her head, she knew it wasn't wise to argue with Sensei Hajime. He was strong and wise, and always seemed to know how best to motivate the students. They looked up to him, and she could see it. And she also knew that the students seemed to fear her.

"I understand, Sensei," she said, her voice almost choking.

"Very good. You may leave now." Hanging her head low, Tatsuki left the office and walked to the changing rooms in the back. Sensei Hajime walked onto the floor, standing tall. "Okay, everyone! I will be concluding this lesson. You have a two-minute water break beginning now. Go!"

All at once, the whole class ran to the water fountain and formed a line. Each one took turns taking a drink from the fountain. When Tatsuki exited the lockers, all the students were in a line on the floor meditating. Sensei Hajime nodded his head to her in a silent farewell as she left.

Meeting

Tamotsu exited the art shop. He had dropped off three of his Shinigami paintings. There was no sense in distributing all of them at once. He was already beginning to feel overwhelmed at all that had transpired the past couple of days. First, he finds that he lived a past life as a Shinigami. Next, Rangiku is his sister from that life. Now, being reinstated in the 10th Division thanks to Hitsugaya, he was assigned to find others like himself. On top of that, he discovered that while in his past life the reason behind his inability to perform well was due to the side effects of a seal to suppress his own power due to the fact his own body was unable to maintain it. What now? Was he able to control it? What if he wasn't? So many unknowns. And he could only imagine what the other Reincarnates he found would be going through.

His mind was so pre-occupied that he failed to notice the two girls walking directly toward him. The two were idly chatting, eating ice cream, so it was a surprise to both parties when they collided. The dark-haired girl dropped the ice cream, it seemed to fall in slow motion. Her red-haired friend seemed almost terrified as the dark-haired girl's expression grew stern as the cold snack landed on the sidewalk.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry Miss," Tamotsu said. Looking at the girls, they only seemed to be seventeen years in age.

"You..." the dark-haired girl said. "You dropped my ice cream. That was my favorite flavor!" Looking up, Tamotsu could see the fire in the girl's eyes. Saying she was having a bad day would probably be an understatement, especially as she screamed and threw a right-handed punch at him. SMACK!

The red-haired girl and her friend both opened their eyes wide. There was Tamotsu, holding the girl's fist a few inches away from his face. "He... caught it..." the red-haired girl said.

A look of shock was on Tamotsu's face as he moved into the girls' range of vision. "Careful," he said. "That punch was strong enough to break my jaw." Letting go of the girl's hand, he could see the look of surprise still fresh. Changing her expression, she threw three more strong punches. Tamostu backed off and blocked all of them using a technique that more guided the blows away from his body rather than outright stopping them.

The dark-haired girl smiled. It was almost sinister as she looked at him. "I've been looking for someone like you," she said. Giving a short laugh, she stood up proudly. "Fight me."

"Fight? You mean like a sparring match?" Whatever the case, the girl's mood seemed to be drastically altered. She was looking for a challenge, it seemed. Whatever the case, he would probably agree to it. If she wanted to spar, it was the least he could do after ruining her snack. He had studied martial arts for years and felt confident, if not a bit rusty. But with his newfound power he was sure that he could use that and at least keep up with her movements. "Very well, I accept."

The dark-haired girl smiled, Tamotsu could see the look of anticipation in her eyes. Her red-haired friend seemed shocked that he would accept her challenge. _She must be good_, he thought.

"Try to keep up," the dark-hair girl said. She took off running in the direction toward the river. She was fast! Thrusting his portfolio into her friend's arms, Tamotsu began running. Through the sidewalks of Karakura Town, he followed her. When she took the winding stairs, Tamotsu took to jumping over the rails and landing on the separate stretches of concrete. He could feel the power returning to him, along with the adrenaline building up in anticipation. It had been a few years since he had sparred with anyone, and he had a feeling this would be fun.

Reaching the grass next to the river, the two wasted no time getting on with the match. Tamotsu saw the girl coming in with a punch. He redirected it and used the momentum to spin his own body with a right crescent kick that was aimed toward her head. She dodged by ducking, but Tamotsu continued with a spinning hook kick with his other leg. Unable to dodge, the girl blocked the kick.

Now facing away from her, Tamotsu dropped to the ground as he sensed a punch coming in from behind. He spun his body around, unleashing a flurry of kicks from his grounded position before gaining the momentum to stand. Taking a stance, he stood loosely with his left leg in front, the left arm extended and the right arm close to his body. He stood with his side facing the girl. This was his default stance, being defensive and minimizing the number of target areas on his body.

The girl's stance was opposite. She stood mostly facing forward with her fists clenched at even distances from her body. As he thought. Her technique was offensive and powerful, she used mostly her fists. It was opposite from his, being defensive and using mostly kicking techniques. He thought of the animals in the Martial Arts he studied. His last style was Shaolin, a Chinese Martial Arts, but the concepts were the same. She was mostly Tiger, doing all that she could to plow through defenses and land the blows. He was Leopard. Smaller and defensive, but also combined the speed and accuracy of Snake and the flexibility of Crane. Also, he used some Dragon which had the ability to adapt easily to various situations.

The girl attacked again, throwing two punches and a strong Front Kick which Tamotsu dodged. She spun around only to have her cheek tapped by Tamotsu's foot as he executed a Flip-Kick, a forward kick designed to move past the opponent's defenses. The point made that he could indeed move past her defenses, Tamotsu backed off and assumed his starting stance once more.

More punches followed. _Monkey block_, Tamotsu thought to himself as he performed downward swings which moved the fists down and to his side. _Too close to kick. Buddah Palm to right shoulder_. Thrusting his hand forward, the palm at a forty-five degree angle, he struck the girl's shoulder. She moved backward a step, giving Tamotsu enough room for his next technique. _Left Round House kick_. The girl moved back just outside of range, but Tamotsu had anticipated this. Keeping the momentum going, he spun around and leapt off the ground. His legs spun, both of them executing crescent kicks.

The girl's smile was larger than ever now. It seemed their level was equal. And from experience, he knew that the longer a match went on the weaker the techniques became. This wouldn't last too much longer. Knowing each other's strengths and weaknesses, now was the time to just show off.

The girl came at him again. _Another punch. You should do something about that. Same techniques and you become predictable._ As the punch was thrown, Tamotsu seemed to disappear. Looking down, the girl saw that he had sunk down into the forward splits. _Good thing I still have my flexibility_. His left leg in front, Tamotsu spun his body to the right and caught the girl's forward leg. Her leg pulled out from under her, Tamotsu spun around on the ground and performed an Axe Kick. His leg hit the dirt as the girl moved out of the way. _She's learning fast_, he thought.

Jumping up, both partners assumed their fighting stances and charged. Fists and hands flew, kicks were executed and blows landed on each member. None were strong enough to inflict damage, they were just having fun now. At tournaments, it was almost always based on whoever got five points first would win. Not here. Now was the time to really let loose. The two partners were ecstatic to be able to use their abilities to their fullest.

Putting all their power into their final blows, the girl executed a fierce right punch as Tamotsu fired off a left Round House. Both of them stopped their technique only an inch away from the intended target. The girl was breathing hard, her fist frozen in space in front of Tamotsu's face while he balanced on his right leg and held his leg only an inch from her head.

"Tatsuki Arisawa," she said.

"Tamotsu Toshiyuki," Tamotsu said in kind. Both of them lowered themselves and bowed respectfully to each other. "I thank you, Tatsuki. I enjoyed that." Catching his breath, he decided to try feeling Tatsuki's reiatsu level. It was high. It was possible that she had Spiritual Powers, but now was not the time to bring that up. Someone of this skill should be easily tracked down.

"Thank you, Tamotsu," Tatsuki said. "I haven't been able to find anyone to match my skill in a long time. Maybe you could come to my dojo. I'm assistant instructor there, and I'm sure you could make it to be an instructor as well."

_Become an instructor_, Tamotsu thought. That's what his last Sensei had told him. But that wasn't what he wanted. They tried to advance him through the ranks faster than what he would have liked. It was what they wanted for him. Not what he wanted for himself. "I'll think about it," was his response.

Tatsuki pulled out a card with her dojo's name and address and gave it to Tamotsu. "Come by whenever you feel," she said. Tamotsu took the card and placed it in his pocket. Looking over to the pavement, the red-haired girl stood and watched them approach. "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced you yet. Tamotsu Toshiyuki, meet Chizuru Honsho."

"Chizuru. Sorry about throwing my stuff at you like that. Just caught up in the heat of the moment." A beeping interrupted the conversation. Tamotsu pulled out his cell phone and opened it. A Hollow had appeared. "Sorry, but I have to go. Good to meet you two." Taking the portfolio from Chizuru, Tamotsu began to run. The two girls walked back toward the city.

Masaru Rin looked down from his vantage point at the top of the steps. He had seen the whole ordeal. Apparently, this Toshiyuki character was quite adept at fighting. He remembered fighting under the command of the girl in his painting. Details were beginning to emerge. He remembered living in a city that resembled a traditional Japanese architecture. But he was still unsure about approaching the man. His investigative instincts were taking over. He had to find out more. Whatever was happening to him, he knew that Tamotsu Toshiyuki was the key to understand it.

**Notes from the Author**

**Okay, I know its shorter and its been a while but I've been kind of busy and haven't been able to write much lately. This meeting between Tatsuki and Tamotsu was planned from the beginning, as I wanted to include some of the lesser characters in my story. I would like to thank everyone who has been following this story, your comments are always welcome**


	10. Heart of a Warrior

_Circle of Friends_

The Hollow howled at Tamotsu as he cracked his whip, sending a shock wave which knocked the Hollow backward. Turning to its side, the Hollow whipped its tail in the same manner, causing Tamotsu to dodge. _This will be interesting_, Tamotsu thought.

"Hado 4: Byakurai!" Tamotsu said. A stream of blue lightning erupted from Tamotsu's finger. It struck the Hollow squarely and knocked it backward. Trees were knocked down as the Hollow landed, shakily finding its footing. "Boy, you're a tough one." The Hollow leapt forward with clawed hands extended. Tamotsu dodged by falling backward.

"Hado 31: Shakkaho!" Tamotsu raised his hand upward and a red ball of energy erupted from his palm. The impact sent the Hollow upward. "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hado 63: Raikoho!" A brilliant burst of yellow electricity erupted from Tamotsu's palm. The Hollow was struck directly and an explosion erupted. Wind and debris flew past Tamotsu as he lay on the ground. Did he get it?

A red beam of light split through the smoke and was aimed at Tamotsu. "Aw, crap…" he said. The Hollow's Cero would have done him in if not for Tamotsu's quick reflex with erecting Danku barriers, which he had found works quite well against most Cero attacks. Rolling out of the way, Tamotsu cleared himself of the Hollow's path as it landed. Facing him on all fours, the Hollow howled once again. "You've gotta be kidding! What's it gonna take to bring you down?"

Finding his footing, Tamotsu stood up assumed a fighting stance. "Let's go, Hinohebi! I'm gonna need some help with this one." The whip began to glow red and then burst into flames. "I'm going to try something, don't get too mad at me."

Throwing the momentum forward, Tamotsu unleashed the whip and made it wrap around the Hollow's neck. The fire burned bright and the Hollow howled and grabbed at the whip. "Hado 11: Tsuzuri Raiden!"

Yellow electricity ran through the whip and added to the damaging effect of the fire. Pulling backward with all his strength, the whip cut through the Hollow. With a final howl, the Hollow disintegrated. Tamotsu collapsed to the ground and fell backward. _That one was tough_, he thought. A shadow fell across Tamotsu's face. He looked up to find it was Hinohebi, once again having manifest herself physically. Her red hair stood on end with loose strands standing straight up, a ripple of electricity moving like a Jacob's Ladder through several of the strands. With an angry growl, she kicked Tamotsu in the ribs.

"What'd you have to do that for?" Hinohebi yelled at him. "Do you know how long it's going to take to get my hair back the way it was?"

"Sorry," Tamotsu said, getting to his knees. "I never realized you were so self-conscious. What's the big deal, anyway? Can't you just dematerialize and it'll go back to the way it was?"

Hinohebi glared at Tamotsu, fire in her eyes as he realized his mistake. The resulting scream could be heard a mile away. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't do that to you again!"

"You won't do what again?" Hinohebi asked, holding Tamotsu by the wrist.

"I won't send electricity through you again!"

"And?"

"And… I won't comment on your looks." Hinohebi tightened her grip. "Unless they're positive comments!"

"Good." Hinohebi let go and began to brush her hair down with her hands. "Now, as long as I'm out maybe we could go do something fun for a change."

"Yeah, one problem though. You've got to have a physical body to do anything here and I am not letting you have mine." Tamotsu stood up, flexing his now swollen and slightly burned wrist. "We'll have to make a run to Urahara's shop. Where'd Pupples go anyway?"

Within five minutes, Hinohebi and Tamotsu found Pupples sitting at an outdoor coffee shop speaking with a young woman.

"Well obviously there's more to life than mere day to day obligations," Pupples was saying. "But we must also live our lives to their fullest. I myself am unable to browse the simple pleasures of outdoor life all that often."

"I know the feeling," the woman was saying. "I usually get stuck in the office and after that I have to go straight home and care for the kids. Life isn't easy for a single working mother."

Tamotsu approached until he knew he was in Pupples' full view.

"I'm sorry, but I must be going," Pupples said. "It was a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." Giving her hand a gentle shake, Pupples stood and exited the plaza.

"We should talk again sometime," the woman called out to him.

Once he was out of earshot, Pupples turned to Tamotsu as they continued walking. "I say, you do have a habit of being quite annoying at times Master. Just when I was beginning to enjoy myself. Surely there must be some way for me to enjoy the outside world more often, and not when you run off on your duties."

"I'll think of something," Tamotsu said as he stepped into his body. With the flash of light, Tamotsu spit out the green pill that contained the Pupples artificial soul. Rounding a corner, Tamotsu and Hinohebi practically ran face-first into Rangiku. "Rangiku! Where've you been? I get a Hollow call that's quite difficult to deal with and you're hanging out at the mall?"

"I was at work," Rangiku responded. "Besides, I figured you could deal with one simple Hollow."

"Simple Hollow? That thing withstood a level sixty Hado spell! Wait. You've got a job?"

"Sure do. I told you I was offered a job as a model. My first shoot was today. They said I'll be on the cover of their next calendar. See?" Rangiku pulled out a poloroid and showed it to Tamotsu and Hinohebi. Tamotsu's face flushed bright red.

"A swimsuit calendar? Are you serious?"

"Oh, come on. I've heard it's hard enough for a woman to get a job these days. You should be lucky I got one so quickly. Since I'll be living here for a while I might as well make the best of it."

"Sure, whatever. Hey, we're going to be heading over to Urahara's shop for a couple things and I was wondering. Is there any way to keep an artificial soul occupied so it's not in this dispenser all the time? Pupples seems to be getting upset about the lack of free time I'm giving him."

Rangiku put her finger across her chin. "You know, Ichigo discovered that artificial souls can be placed in just about anything. He put his mod soul into a stuffed lion. Urahara's keeping three mod souls in stuffed animals at his shop."

"Ichigo? Who's that?"

"Oh, that's right. You haven't met yet. He's a Substitute Shinigami. Just got his powers back not too long ago."

"Wait a minute. There's Substitute Shinigami now? Mod souls in stuffed animals? What else have I missed out on?"

"I'll have you filled in next time you go to Soul Society. And about Pupples, I saw a toy store with a sale on stuffed animals. Maybe we could grab something there."

"Whatever you say."

Rounding a corner, the toy store had a banner displaying a sign for up to 75% off select merchandise. It had been several years since Tamotsu had been in to such a store, approaching it made him a bit uneasy. The day was into late afternoon, and apparently the sale was for a limited time. When they got to the bin with the stuffed animals there was only one left. It was a brown owl with large ears and black wings.

Looking over his shoulder, Tamotsu noticed a young boy pulling his mother in that direction. "Beggars can't be choosers," he said to himself. "Owls are supposed to signify wisdom, and you certainly seem to talk the part." Grabbing the toy, he quickly purchased it. Not bothering with a sales receipt, he left the store quickly.

When they were well out of the crowds and on a secluded street on the way to Urahara's shop, Tamotsu pulled the owl doll out along with the soul pill containing Pupples. "Here goes nothing," Tamotsu said as he placed the pill into the beak of the owl's mouth. For a moment nothing happened. Then the owl blinked and looked around.

"I say," the owl Pupples said. "What is the meaning of this? I am able to move about yet you still remain in your body?"

"Yeah, you were complaining so I got a stuffed animal for you to be in."

"A stuffed animal, you say? Good sir! I do have my dignity! I refuse to be in such a shabby confinement. Could you not find something more close to your own size?"

"Look. It's either this or back in the pill dispenser you go."

The owl Pupples blinked, then narrowed his eyes. "You do drive a hard bargain. Although if I am to remain in this form I insist on a new name. Pupples is meant for the dog dispenser in which I came from."

"Well, let's see…" Tamotsu thought for a moment. "Owls are known for wisdom or intelligence. I could call you Smart-ass."

Infuriated, the owl doll jumped out of Tamotsu's hand and smacked him over the forehead. "You fool! I shall have no such name!"

Hinohebi stepped forward and picked up the doll. "Well, they're also common for good luck charms. How about Lucky?"

"Now that I can live with. Honestly, are you not in harmony with your zanpakuto?"

Rubbing his forehead, Tamotsu stared at Hinohebi with a hint of anger. "Sometimes I wonder about that." Hinohebi only stuck her tongue out at the remark. "All right, Lucky. You've got a body to walk around in while I'm using this one. That's one thing down. Rangiku's got a job and we've got some leads on our mission. But now Hinohebi needs some type of Gigai of her own. Anything I've forgotten? No? All right then. Let's get this taken care of."

Shopping

It was about 4:00 when they reached Urahara's shop. Jinta was busy sweeping the front of the store when the group approached. Urahara was standing off to the side holding a green and white striped umbrella. "Well, hello there. What can I do for you today?"

"Mr. Urahara," Tamotsu started. "I wanted to know if there's anything you could do in terms of a portable Gigai."

"Portable Gigai, you say? Yes, I have some. What would you need portable Gigai's for?"

"They're for me!" Hinohebi said, raising her hand proudly. "Tamotsu says we can't do anything in this world without a Gigai."

"A Gigai for a Zanpakuto? Much like I did once for Haineko, isn't that right Rangiku?"

"Oh, yeah," Rangiku said. "I almost forgot about that. "Except Hinohebi has the tendency to come out whenever she wants to."

Hinohebi smiled smugly at the comment. "Good sir," Lucky said as he leapt onto Tamotsu's shoulder. "If she is gaining possession of a full-sized Gigai then I insist on one as well!"

"Calm yourself," Tamotsu said. "Isn't this one good enough for you, Lucky?"

Urahara's eyes opened wide at the sight. "Lucky, you say?" he commented.

"Yeah, it's the Pupples artificial soul you gave me. He insisted on having some type of body so we grabbed this stuffed owl for him and changed his name to Lucky."

Urahara smiled widely and closed the umbrella. "This is wonderful! Another addition to our parade of walking stuffed animals. Please, come inside."

The group walked inside the shop and moved to a back room. Urahara slid the door open to reveal Tessai sitting next to a table with three stuffed animals standing on the table. Tamotsu saw a bird wearing a blue dress and hood, a rabbit purse and a turtle wearing a tuxedo.

"May I introduce to you Ririn, Kurodo and Noba." The three stuffed animals answered in turn as they were introduced. "And this is Lucky. He is Tamotsu's artificial soul."

Lucky made himself known and jumped down on top of the table. Landing on the short owl feet, Lucky struggled to remain standing by flapping his wings. "Must this body be so restrictive?"

The bird, Ririn, stepped forward. "Oh, it's not that bad once you get used to it."

"Certainly," Kurodo, the rabbit-purse said. "It may seem restrictive but you're given more freedom than most and being a stuffed animal allows you to travel almost anywhere!"

"Correct," Noba the turtle said.

Tamotsu leaned close to Noba and cocked his head. "You're not much for words, are you?" he asked. In response, Noba stared motionless for a second before retreating into his shell.

"He's shy," Ririn said. "Come on, Lucky. We'll show you around the shop!" Grabbing Lucky's wing with her own, Ririn jumped off the table and ran out of the room with Lucky's plumper form struggling to keep up.

"Urahara," Tamotsu said. "Could we see about those Gigai you were talking about for Hinohebi?"

"Certainly," Urahara responded, motioning to another doorway. "Just right through here." The group entered another room, where Urahara pulled out a small box and opened it. Inside were several black balloons. "Here we are. Portable Gigai."

Tamotsu pulled one of the balloons out and stared at it. "You're kidding right? Black balloons? We're not throwing a party here."

"Oh, they're Gigai, I assure you. Hinohebi. Why don't you blow one of them up and take a look."

Hinohebi took one of the balloons and began to inflate it. It swelled like a normal balloon the first few breaths, then suddenly took on her shape and likeness. The Gigai wore black shorts, a short red shirt and a black jacket with a flame symbol on the back. Stepping inside the Gigai, Hinohebi first struggled for movement but quickly adjusted. "This is so awesome!" she exclaimed.

"Just be sure not to strain the Gigai too much," Urahara warned. "If strained too much, they will pop just like a balloon. Regular humans would believe you had exploded and we don't want that much attention."

"Okay, boss!" Hinohebi said as she saluted. "So, Tamotsu. Now can we go and do something together?"

"You go on ahead and enjoy yourself for a while," Tamotsu responded. "I think I owe you that much. Just remember you don't have any money and I won't have you spending all of my funds. Just meet back here by sunset."

Pulling Tamotsu into a full embrace, Hinohebi then skipped giddily out the front door.

"Are you sure that's a wise thing to do?" Rangiku asked. "She's a feisty one, there's no telling what she'll get herself into."

"Nobody knows who she is. As far as they know, she's just an excited tourist visiting a small town. Listen, Rangiku. I need you to do some research on that Institute we visited yesterday and gather some supplies from here like we promised."

"And what are you planning on doing?" Rangiku asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"You'll have to take calls for a while, there's something I need to take care of."

_Heart of the Black Belt_

Tamotsu walked into the dojo whose address Tatsuki had given him. There were no classes going on at the time, so the only person inside was the head instructor. "May I help you?" Sensei Hajime asked.

Tamotsu looked into the office and was shocked to see who was sitting behind the desk. "You?" he asked in complete surprise.

"Well, well," Hajime said. "Isn't this a surprise. Toshiyuki, wasn't it? I must say it has been a long time. What have you been up to?"

Tamotsu sat down on the seat across from Hajime. "I've taken up painting mostly now. Found a long-lost sister. And doing a little soul-searching."

Hajime smiled. "I see. So, what brings you here? I'm sure it's not to sign up for classes."

"Actually, I'm here to speak to you about one of your students. Tatsuki Arisawa."

"Yes, she is an interesting one. What about her?"

"She has great skill, but I wanted to see about asking permission for something."

"What are you planning, Toshiyuki?"

"I would like to perform a test to see if she is truly worthy of the black belt which she wears so proudly."

"I see. What kind of test?"

It was half an hour later when Tatsuki entered the dojo. Hajime had asked her to come in for some special training, to which she was quite eager. She was ordered by Hajime to suit up, which she did quickly. Running out of the locker room she knelt on the floor in the customary way of tying one's belt of rank. She didn't notice Tamotsu until it was too late. Moving swiftly, he took her belt from her and had it hanging around his neck while standing next to the door.

"Hey!" Tatsuki cried. "Give that back!" Standing up, she ran to the door and lunged for the belt. Dodging her easily, Tamotsu moved out of the way.

"I'll give it back," Tamotsu said, "but you have to pass a test."

"I'm not doing any tests until you give my belt back! Sensei, do something!"

Hajime smiled. "I am sorry, Tatsuki. But without your belt, you have no rank and are not my student. I'm afraid you'll have to do what he says. Unless you think you'll fail his test."

Tatsuki folded her arms proudly. "Ha! I can pass any test. Fine, I accept. Just tell me where and when."

"Very well," Tamotsu said. "Right now, next to the river at the area where we sparred." Exiting the dojo, Tamotsu climbed onto a bicycle. "Oh, and you have to run there. See you in a few minutes!" Pedaling along, Tamotsu didn't look back as Tatsuki stood shocked.

"I'd recommend you get moving if you want your belt back," Hajime said. Growling in frustration, Tatsuki began to run. She felt naked without her belt. What kind of test was this going to be? She'd never had to run that far before. She never _had_ run that far before. But she would pass.

Finally reaching the river, she found Tamotsu sitting on a folding chair. "You finally made it."

"Okay," Tatsuki said as she approached him. "Tell me what this test is. When do we start?"

"It started back at the dojo. Don't you remember? And as your instructor for this test, you are not allowed to talk back to me or you will fail. Do you understand?"

Anger welled up inside of Tatsuki. Sensei Hajime had told her she must do what Tamotsu tells her, playing his little game or he wouldn't take her back as his student. "Very well… Sensei…" The words had a hint of venom as she glared at the man.

"Good. First thing first. I'm sure you know what the Bridge is. Am I right? There's other names for it."

Tatsuki smiled. "Well, Sensei, I would appreciate should you demonstrate for me."

"Very well." Jumping off the chair, Tamotsu dropped down to the ground and lifted himself, his body supported only by his elbows and toes. His back was straight and stiff. "This is all you have to do. Hold yourself like this."

Tatsuki laughed. That seemed simple enough. She fell down and assumed the same position. _This wasn't too bad_, she thought. At least, that was until Tamotsu sat on her shoulder. But she remained sturdy.

"Nice day, wouldn't you agree?" Tamotsu asked.

"Why you…" Tatsuki muttered.

"Oh, no. No talking back. Talk back and you fail, remember?"

Swallowing her pride, and unable to see the city, Tatsuki responded. "Yes, Sensei. It is a nice day."

"Well, I don't want to wear you out too much," Tamotsu said as he stood up and walked to his chair. "You should start feeling it in your abs now. A tightening around your biceps as well."

Tamotsu was right. It seemed such a simple exercise, but she was beginning to feel pain exactly where he mentioned.

"After about two minutes, your arms and legs will start shaking and you'll begin to sweat. Don't worry, it gets better and you can hold it forever after your body goes numb. Keep your back straight." Tamotsu pushed down as Tatsuki's back had begun to rise in an effort to ease the pain. "Back when I had my black belt, we had to do this five minutes at a time. I'm sure you could handle that long."

Tatsuki could already feel herself breathing hard. This was much more difficult than it appeared. Her arms shook and her legs felt weak. The pain in her abdominal muscles increased too. It seemed like an eternity that she lay there like that. She could feel the sweat dripping down her face. Finally, involuntarily, she collapsed.

"Four minutes," Tamotsu said. Tatsuki looked up at him. Had it only been four minutes? She had been in fights that lasted longer. "Honestly, I expected more from you. With all that skill you can't do a simple exercise like this? Maybe you don't have what it takes. Go on home." Tamotsu walked over to his chair and folded it up.

"Wait!" Tatsuki called out. Struggling, she reassumed the position. "I can do this. I will not fail!"

Tamotsu smiled. "Very well. Starting over from zero again." From zero? He was starting the clock over? What was his game? Why was he pushing her like this? "Come on now. You're mine for an hour, and it's only been three minutes. Don't tell me you're getting exhausted already."

Tatsuki held her tongue. She wanted nothing more than to beat the man, but she knew that her Sensei would find out and that would certainly strip her of the rank. Her muscles burned as she held the position. She had never backed down from anything before. She had to do this. She was the best, and she had to prove it.

Collapsing once again, Tatsuki looked up. "Two minutes," Tamotsu said. "You're not doing so well here." Even less time than her first attempt. "Well, we can't sit around having you failing at this exercise. Moving on." Walking over to the chair, Tamotsu pulled out a striking pad. About two feet long and covered in foam. "You are to block and block only. Do not strike back."

When Tatsuki had gotten to her feet, Tamotsu was already on the attack. Swinging the pad left to right, up and down, at off angles and thrusts. And he wasn't letting up. This frustrated Tatsuki. Not because of the endless barrage of strikes, but because she wasn't allowed to strike back.

Suddenly, Tamotsu stopped. She had blocked every strike. Did she pass this part? "Not bad," Tamotsu said. Walking over to the chair, he pulled out a second striking pad. "Let's try this now." Wielding one of the pads in each hand, Tamotsu came at her with doubled efforts. It kept her on edge, having to divide her attention between the two pads. And it wasn't just striking with single sticks, he combined the attacks. Two on one side, scissor cuts which she had to dodge, then a kick!

Tatsuki fell backwards and looked up in shock. "You said I was only supposed to block the pads!" she cried out.

Tamotsu scratched his head. "Did I say that? I thought my instructions were to block and block only. I never said anything about only using the pads. Tell you what. We'll go all out. You can strike as much as you'd like."

_Finally_, Tatsuki thought. _Now this I can do_. Taking her fighting stance, she was surprised to see Tamotsu taking a stance with dual-wielding the pads. Lunging forward, Tamotsu parried her punch and spun around with the other pad having it touch her neck lightly. With his extended reach, he was at the advantage and he knew it. None of Tatsuki's strikes could even get close. On the other hand, Tamotsu fought with a grace and skill she had never expected.

Blocking one punch, Tamotsu spun around, flipping one pad into a reverse grip as he struck with the second pad. Bringing the reversed one up, he brushed it against Tatsuki's uniform, then her face. Using the moment of surprise, he spun around again and pushed her full force. The impact sent her sprawling into the grass.

Panting hard, Tatsuki stood again. Who was this guy? Without a second thought, Tamotsu tossed the pads to the side. "You disappoint me," he said. "Enough sparring. Horse stance, now!" Baring her teeth, Tatsuki assumed the horse-stance position. "It's kind of hot out. Would you like some water?"

He was being generous now? Breathing hard and trying to hide her relief, Tatsuki responded with "Yes, please." Tamotsu left and returned a moment later with five small cups of water. He placed one on each of Tatsuki's knees, one on each of her shoulders and finally one on top of her head.

"There you go," Tamotsu said. "Try not to spill it." Tatsuki grimaced as she noticed the glasses already starting to vibrate. "You're despising me now, aren't you? I never said I would get anything for you to drink." Looking up at the top of the hill, Tamotsu saw Hajime descending the steps. "If you'll excuse me."

Tatsuki watches as Tamotsu walked toward her Sensei. She had to hold this position. It was more difficult than she thought. What was going on? She was exhausted, surely Tamotsu could see that. How much longer did she have on this test? One of her knees gave out, the action caused all of the water to drop from their placed positions.

After a moment, Tamotsu returned and Hajime walked away. "Tatsuki, you disappoint me. I expected more from you. Can't you complete just one of the tasks I give you? I just spoke with your Sensei," Tamotsu said. "I told him to get two Ice Creams. Butter Pecan, if I recall. That was your favorite?"

_Bastard!_ Tatsuki thought. _They were going to sit and eat her favorite Ice Cream in front of her while she suffered._

"Tell you what," Tamotsu said suddenly. "Let's speed things up a bit." Walking to the chair, Tamotsu picked up the belt. "You can have your belt back on one condition. All you have to do is take it from me and it's yours. No more fighting. No more drills. Just take it from me and you can go home successful."

"What, is this some type of joke?"

"No joke. Unless you think you can't do it."

Something inside Tatsuki snapped. She lunged at Tamotsu, arm extended. He easily dodged. "Your movements are sloppy." Throwing punches and kicks in a full-out attack, Tamotsu seemed do dance around the blows. With a sudden flurry of movements by Tamotsu, Tatsuki suddenly found herself on the ground staring up at the sky. "Come on, you couldn't even dodge that?"

Infuriated Tatsuki jumped up again and attacked. She only made three moves before Tamotsu was behind her, holding her neck in a lock. "You're pathetic. Why don't you just give up already?" Getting thrown down again, Tatsuki struggled to her feet. "We've only been here half the time I was given and already you're on your knees. This is supposed to be your best effort?"

"Don't…" Tatsuki said. "Don't… Mock ME!" She lunged again, falling immediately on her own. Her face was turning red, the emotion swelling within her. She was supposed to be the best in the region. There was nothing she couldn't do. So why? Why does this person who came from nowhere make it seem so easy to make a fool of her?

"Look at you," Tamotsu said. "You can barely stand. You're a disgrace. Why do you keep going? This can all be over if you just leave now. Forget it. You've failed the test."

Tears welled up in Tatsuki's eyes. She… failed? She had never failed before.

"Face it," Tamotsu said, standing over her with the belt dangling before her eyes. "You weren't able to complete one task I gave you. You weren't able to land one strike on me. If you want this back, you'll have to start the test all over again."

_Start over?_ Tatsuki thought. _From the beginning?_ She could feel sweat dripping from her face, then tears.

"Is it really this important to you?" Tamotsu cried, almost shouting at her. "Is this so important that you'd risk humiliating yourself over and over again, only to fail time after time, just to wear a black piece of fabric?"

The tears fell freely now. Was she really that pathetic? Finding her strength, she looked at Tamotsu. "I'll do it," she said. Attempting to stand, she fell to her knees once again.

"What was that?"

"I said… I'll do it. I'll take your test. If I can pass it only once, but I will not give up!"

"Is that your decision?"

"Yes…"

"Okay. Here you go." Tamotsu was smiling, and placed Tatsuki's belt around her neck. "Boy, you really had me going there for a minute. I thought you really were going to give up. Come on, you need to sit down before you pass out. Drink this." Tamotsu had pulled out a water bottle from the bag next to his seat.

Feeling light headed, Tatsuki accepted the water and looked at Tamotsu. "I don't understand. I passed?"

Sitting next to Tatsuki, Tamotsu looked at the sun setting over Karakura. "The purpose of the test was not to test your skills and abilities, but your will. The only way to have failed was to give up. I'm sorry I had to push you so far, but you had to realize for yourself just how much it meant to you. Do you understand now?"

Looking at her belt, Tatsuki smiled. "I never realized how much it meant to me. So all I had to do was keep going, no matter what?"

Tamotsu nodded. "That, my friend, is a true black belt. Here comes your Sensei." Tamotsu stood and bowed deeply to Hajime. "I thank you for the opportunity to test your student. She is well deserving of her rank." With that, Tamotsu began walking away and packed his chair and pack.

"Aren't you going to eat your Ice Cream?" Tatsuki asked.

Tamotsu smiled. "Don't you remember? I told you I asked him for two Ice Cream. I never said I would be eating one. I think your Sensei deserves to have Ice Cream with his best student." Packing the rest of his things on the bicycle, Tamotsu began to ride westward into the sunset.

Hajime sat down next to Tatsuki and gave her one of the desserts. "So what do you think of him?" he asked.

"He knew what I needed, even though I didn't want it," she said. "He's a leader. How do you know him?"

"I trained him. A few things, he wasn't very good back then. He's certainly improved a lot since then."

"I never would have thought someone like him used to be weak."

"Tamotsu Toshiyuki is an interesting one. Did I ever tell you that you remind me a lot of someone else I used to train? She had strong will. I wonder how she's doing these days."

It had been a long time since he had seen that student. He often wondered. Did she ever think about him? How was she doing these days? Hajime wasn't sure if he'd ever have the chance to see her again. Would she remember him? What would her reaction be? Of course, the last time he saw her was the last day he was known as Kaien Shiba.


	11. Hinohebi's Day Out

Regrets

Tamotsu piled his belongings into the closet of his apartment. It was getting late, he had to see about getting to Urahara's shop soon to meet with Hinohebi and Rangiku. Deciding it was for the best, he pulled the bicycle out again and after locking the door he walked down the stairs to the street level and began to petal.

He felt bad for what he had to put that Tatsuki girl through. True, it was a test to prove how much it meant to achieve that rank. But there was another test he had been doing at the same time. Secretly through the exercise, he was draining bits of her reiatsu so she would tire faster. The hope was that when she reached the point of exhaustion, her will to go on would ignite any hidden or suppressed spiritual powers. Had she been a Reincarnate, it would have been manifest at that time.

She had indeed passed the test on the surface, and Tamotsu was glad. But she was just a human with spiritual powers. Not a Reincarnate. And that saddened him, having to push her that far. Kaien had understood, and knew that Tatsuki would pass at least the surface test. Of course, Kaien had the name of Hijame now.

That made him wonder. How had he kept his name from Soul Society? Everyone else seemed to have different names. Why was he different? Also, it seemed as if he were getting stronger. He still couldn't stand in the air or perform Shunpo, but his reflexes and speed did seem to be greater when he fought with Tatsuki during the test. Were his skills getting sharper without him realizing?

_There I go again_, Tamotsu thought. _Overwhelming myself with thoughts of what-if_. Pulling up to Urahara's shop, he found the door open. It was just past sunset by the time he arrived. Walking into the shop, he felt a fierce reiatsu to his left. Reflex acted before thought and he had found that he once again caught Tatsuki's fist in his palm.

"You could have told me the truth about you," Tatsuki said. Tamotsu was confused. How had she found out? Looking into the shop, he found a group had gathered together.

"We went ahead and told her while we were waiting for you," Urahara said, smiling cheerily. Next to Urahara sat Kaien, Hinohebi, Chizuru and a young girl that Tamotsu had not seen before with long orange hair.

Another wave of reiatsu and Tamotsu stepped out of the way as Tatsuki missed with another punch. "You're going to keep doing that until you hit me, aren't you?" Tamotsu asked. Tatsuki looked at him and smiled slyly. "Well since I don't need to hide anymore…" Tamotsu placed his hand over Tatsuki's face and calmly said, "Inemuri." Tatsuki's eyes diallated and she collapsed on the floor. The newcomer and Chizuru stood up in shock.

"Don't worry," Urahara said. "She'll be fine. Inemuri is a spell that puts the victim into a forced sleep. She'll wake up in the morning with no problems." The group rested uneasily. "Toshiyuki, allow me to introduce you to Inoue. Hinohebi ran into her today and she wanted to meet you."

"Inoue, huh? Looks like you've been busy today, Hinohebi. What exactly did you do?"

Hinohebi

She couldn't believe it! After all this time, Tamotsu had finally let Hinohebi go off on her own to have some fun! He said he wanted her back at Urahara's shop by sunset, so that gave her about four hours to live it up. Not only had she never had this much freedom, she had also never gotten the chance to roam in the world of the Living before.

There was so much to see, where would she start? She heard a couple of girls passing by talk about going to a mall. From Tamotsu's mind she knew what it was, but he rarely went. Zanpakuto share the memories of their wielders, but Tamotsu rarely went out. A mall sounded like a grand idea!

Hinohebi followed the girls inconspicuously until she beheld a large building in front of her. There were several entrances, she chose one in the center of the building. Inside was an incredible sight for her. It seemed like the dealers and shop owners from Rukongai, but on a much larger scale. Shops with anything she could imagine and more.

Deciding to look in one of the clothing shops, Hinohebi found all sorts of fashions and styles. Tamotsu had told her that since she had no money she couldn't buy anything, but that didn't mean she couldn't try things on. Maybe she could use some of these styles for other times when she uses a Gigai. Drawn toward the red, yellow and white blouses, Hinohebi felt more comfortable with them since these were the colors of fire.

She tried several on before deciding on a few that she would have to show Tamotsu. As she was looking at herself in the mirror, she noticed someone staring at her from behind. Turning around, she saw that it was the red-haired girl Tamotsu had met earlier. Chizuru, if she remembered right. But she couldn't call the name out since they had never actually met. Instead, Hinohebi put on a big smile and waved at the girl.

Chizuru was standing next to her before she knew what to think next. The girl's eyes were glassy and sparkling from behind the glasses. "You are so pretty!" Chizuru said, holding Hinohebi's hand in front of her. "And I just love your choice in clothes! I've never seen you before, are you new in town?"

"No," Hinohebi said. "I've lived here a long time. I just don't get out much."

"You look almost my age. What school do you go to?"

"School? I don't go to school."

Chizuru was shocked. "You don't go to school? Well, aren't you here with friends?"

"Nope. Just by myself." Hinohebi picked up the clothes she had tried on and started to place them back on the shelves.

"What are you doing?" Chizuru asked. "This place isn't that expensive, and you looked adorable in those outfits!"

"Oh, I can't buy anything anyway," Hinohebi responded with a smile. "I don't have any money either."

"You don't go to school, you don't have any friends or money? We've got to fix that. I know! One of my friends is getting off work soon, we can go meet her!"

Hinohebi spun around excitedly. "Meet new people?" she asked, eyes sparkling. "Sure, I'd love to! Oh, but I have to be somewhere by nightfall."

"Where might that be?"

"Some guy named Urahara has a shop, I need to be there tonight."

_Urahara?_ Chizuru thought. _Is that Kisuke Urahara? Could she be a Shinigami like Ichigo? Or maybe something else?_

"I'm Hinohebi, by the way," Hinohebi said, extending her hand in greeting. "What's your name?"

Taking the hand in a customary handshake, Chizuru was unsure of what to think. "Chizuru Honsho," she said. "So, Hinohebi, what is your surname?"

"Surname?" Hinohebi put her hand under her chin and thought for a moment. "I don't have a surname. I guess you could say its Toshiyuki, like my Master."

"Your… Master? Would that be Tamotsu Toshiyuki?"

Hinohebi nodded excitedly. "Yep, that's him! So where's this friend of yours we're going to meet?"

"Oh, she works at a bakery not too far from here."

"Okay, let's go!" Hinohebi grabbed Chizuru's arm and pulled her.

"Wait! It's the other direction!" Suddenly switching directions, Chizuru was almost pulled off her feet. Who was this girl? No surname, working under an artist who she said was her Master? No friends or money? Chizuru didn't know much about the Shinigami, just what Inoue had told her. Maybe she would be able to make more sense of this.

Circle of Friends

Inoue Orihime exited the bakery carrying a bag full of bread. Since they usually weren't able to sell everything in the day, extra loaves of bread had to be either thrown out or given to employees since everything sold had to be fresh.

She turned a corner to see Chizuru and someone she didn't recognize. "Hello, Chizuru!" Inoue called out. Chizuru returned the greeting and ran full speed to hug Inoue who, like always, was unprepared for the strength of the embrace.

Hinohebi walked calmly over and hit Chizuru over the head. "Sorry, but I don't believe that to be appropriate behavior for two young girls," she said.

"Oh, it's okay," Inoue said. "Chizuru's always like this. I'm Inoue Orihime." Inoue extended her hand in greeting, and Hinohebi took it.

"I'm Hinohebi Toshiyuki. Pleased to meet you. Say, that smells really wonderful!"

Inoue reached into her bag and pulled out a roll. "Thank you. We bake everything fresh each day. Would you like to try one?"

Hinohebi smiled as she took the roll and ate a bite. "Wow! This is so good! This is the first time I've ever had food before!" Hinohebi laughed cheerily, not seeing the looks of concern on Chizuru and Inoue's faces.

"Never ate food before?" Inoue asked in a whisper.

"I don't know how to explain it," Chizuru responded softly, "but I think she may be a Shinigami. She talked about having to go to Urahara's shop later on. I didn't know who else I could talk to about this kind of thing, and you probably know a lot more than I do."

"What's all the whispering for?" Hinohebi asked. "I may be new, but isn't it rude to whisper behind someone's back? Come on, I want to do some more things before I have to go. You people are so fun!"

"Okay, let's go then," Inoue said, doing her best to hide her concern for the newcomer.

The trio of young women walked in and out of various shopping centers, buying Hinohebi a couple of less expensive clothing items. It wasn't too long until the day started coming to a close and they had to leave. Having mentioned they knew about Urahara, Hinohebi agreed to be escorted by them.

By the time they began to head over to Urahara's shop, the three girls were acting like they had known each other their entire lives. But in the back of their minds, Chizuru and Inoue were wondering about the newcomer Hinohebi's life. Who was she? And what was her connection with the Shinigami? She certainly didn't act like one. She always spoke of Tamotsu and her together, never about herself as an individual.

The thoughts and questions were interrupted with an unearthly howl. "It's a Hollow," Inoue said. "Its not safe this way. Let's turn around."

Boldly walking forward, Hinohebi advanced. "Oh, come on," she said. "I can tell by its reiatsu that this one won't be a problem."

"You can sense its presence?" Chizuru asked.

"Yep. It's gonna try to surprise us by jumping in." As if on cue, the Hollow revealed itself. Turning to face it, Hinohebi spoke. "Look, Mr. Hollow. It's supposed to be my time off so if you don't mind could you go somewhere else and bother us later?"

The Hollow chuckled. "And why would I do that? There are three very delectable souls for me to eat right here." The Hollow lunged forward toward Hinohebi.

"Santen Kesshun," Inoue called. As if casting a spell, Inoue grabbed the hairpins from the side of her clothes and threw them forward. A glowing yellow triangle appeared that stopped the Hollow's attack.

"Interesting," the Hollow remarked. "I love a challenge. It will make eating you all the more satisfying!" The Hollow began to lunge again, but a fiery blast hit it from the side. It was knocked to its side by the blast, but rose slowly. "That was not a Shinigami Spell, nor was it like the shield the other human created. What are you?"

Chizuru and Inoue turned to see Hinohebi holding a black whip with a blade at the tip. She cracked the whip and created a shock wave that sent the Hollow flying back into the wall of a building. "I am my Master's sword. And I will not allow you to harm my friends!"

Hinohebi spun the whip over her head, a ball of fire forming above it. Lashing out forward, the fireball was sent into the Hollow. The explosion rocked the ground for the entire block, smoke billowing from the impact site. The Hollow leapt from the blaze. Its skin was badly burned and its mask was cracked in several places, scorched black from the fire.

The Hollow howled, but Hinohebi moved faster than it expected. The whip was suddenly wrapped tightly around its entire body. Unable to move, the Hollow stared at Hinohebi. Hinohebi's eyes burned with the fury of protection, and of one that will do anything to meet their goal. The whip suddenly burst into flames. The Hollow shrieked in agony. Hinohebi pulled back on the whip, which cut through the Hollow in a dozen places as it passed completely through the body. The Hollow stood motionless for a moment then dissolved into the air.

Hinohebi sighed and the whip dissipated into red energy. "Those guys really do know how to ruin a day," she said. Chizuru and Inoue only stared. "What? You showed off your powers so I figured I could show off mine."

Inoue approached slowly, nervous of what to make of Hinohebi now. "You…" she started. "You said you were your Master's sword. Are you a zanpakuto?"

Hinohebi looked away. "Does this mean you don't want to be with me anymore?"

"Oh, no. It's not that. It's just that the last time a zanpakuto materialized and came to this world it was because another zanpakuto wanted to free them from their Master's control. I'm just wondering. Are you like that?"

"Free from my Master's control? No, of course not. I adore my Master Tamotsu. I just come out because I feel like it. This is the first time he's let me go off on my own. And now I have two new friends. That is, if you'd still like to be my friends."

Chizuru smiled. "Of course we would."

Hinohebi returned the smile. "Thank you, I appreciate it. We should probably go on to Urahara's shop."

Recruit

Tamotsu listened as Hinohebi finished the story of her day. "Still getting into trouble even without me there," he said.

Hinohebi smiled and offered a piece of bread to her Master. There was still plenty left from Inoue's work, so Tamotsu accepted it with a smile. It was then that Rangiku entered the shop. Everyone turned to greet her.

"Sorry I'm late," Rangiku said. "There was something I had to find out. It's okay, come on in."

A young girl walked nervously into the room. She was probably only sixteen years old, and barely taller than Captain Hitsugaya. Dressed in black with lace lining on a skirt, the girl lifted her head to reveal that she was also wearing black makeup.

"This is Naomi Kanagawa," Rangiku said. "I found her at the Institute and filed a release under the promise that we would take care of her. Apparently, she has no real family. She has a stronger reiatsu than most people I've seen."

"Now isn't that interesting," Urahara said. "I'm wondering. Would you mind taking a simple test for me Naomi?"

The girl turned her head then looked up at Rangiku. "She doesn't exactly talk," Rangiku said. "I'm told that she can, just she chooses not to. It's okay, we can trust him."

Naomi approached nervously as Urahara pulled out three tables. He removed the cloth covering the first table and there were several objects. "This first test is simple," Urahara said. "All you have to do is tell me how many items you see on this table."

Naomi looked. There was a pencil, a stuffed turtle, a wooden badge with a skull on it, a large button, a cellular phone and silver pendant. Not speaking, she held up her fingers to show "six."

"You passed the first step. Two of these items are made of reishi, so normal humans would not be able to see them." Urahara replaced the cover on the first table and uncovered the next one. There were five small paintings of various skylines. "Choose whichever one you would like, or whatever you feel looks familiar."

Naomi glanced over the paintings. There was Mt. Fuji, San Francisco, a traditional Japanese town, Seireitei and a fictional cityscape. She pointed to the painting of Seireitei.

"I see…" Urahara said, his expression growing stern. "That's two tests you've passed. You directly chose the painting of Seireitei, which is also made of reishi. Normal humans wouldn't be able to see that painting at all. That means either you're lucky, you've seen it, or you've lived there before. Final test." Urahara covered the second table and uncovered the third. There were pictures of the captains of the Thirteen Court Guard, in no particular order, and the kanji for the numbers one through thirteen. "Please. Choose any two of these."

Naomi looked over the pictures and kanji. Nervously, she picked up the picture of Shunsui Kyōraku and the kanji for "eight" and showed them to Urahara. Then, reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a cherry blossom and placed it next to the picture.

"You recognize that man, do you?" Urahara asked. Naomi hesitated a moment, then nodded. "And you're sure this number goes with him?" Naomi nodded again. Urahara smiled. "Very good. You've passed the third test. You're probably overwhelmed right now. Please, stay here the night. You will be safe."

Naomi looked at Rangiku, who nodded her approval of the offer. "It's okay," Rangiku said. "These are friends. You can trust them."

A sliding door opened to reveal Tessai. "Right this way, Miss Naomi," the man said. "You have nothing to worry about." Looking back once more at Rangiku, who gave a reassuring nod, Naomi walked with the man to the back of the shop.

"I should warn you," Rangiku said. "She has a rather morbid streak to her nature. Also, she was found in the Institute painting black circles on the chests of all her drawings. I think we're the only ones that can help her."

"She remembers," Tamotsu said. "But not much. We'll have to see what we can do in the morning. By the way, what did you find out about that Institute?"

Rangiku entered and sat down. "There seemed to be several hauntings at that facility, dating back several decades. I found several pluses there, unable to break their bond with that place. They believe they are still insane. A few may have escaped when the Hollow attacked us there, but I was able to send the rest to Soul Society. That should be all we hear from that place."

"Thank you, Rangiku."

Masaru Rin looked across the street at the shop that the man called Urahara owned. He had seen his target enter there, and heard something about a test. He couldn't help it. He was a detective. And this seemed to be a key piece for unlocking the mystery of his past. Tilting his hat down, he walked down the dimly lit street. Just another shadow in the night. But soon, the shadow will come to light and reveal the greatest mystery of all. The mystery of one's own self.

**NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR**

**Sorry about the delay on this update. This chapter was a bit of a challenge for me, the majority taking place from the point of view of three female characters. I felt it would be a good idea to have Hinohebi make some friends and bring in more of the lesser characters. I'll be getting on with the main story next. Comments are always welcome, and I know this chapter probably isn't as good as some of the others. In any case, I would like to thank everyone for following the story.**


	12. The Stalker Revealed

MORNING

Tamotsu Toshiyuki paced in the training area under Urahara's shop. It looked like a vast desert with jagged rocks reaching for the sky (actually a painted ceiling made to look like the sky). It was bright as day, yet Tamotsu couldn't see any source of light. But that was the last thing on his mind right now. He was wondering what to do about this new arrival, the girl named Naomi Kanagawa.

The girl was obviously a Reincarnate, but she seemed far too timid to be able to fight and regain her abilities. Tamotsu was beginning to think that perhaps there were other ways for one to regain their powers rather than exceeding their physical strain as he had attempted with Tatsuki.

A wave of reiatsu came over Tamotsu as he paced. Not bothering to block Tatsuki's blow, he merely ducked and turned, continuing his pacing. Ever since she discovered that he was a Shinigami, similar to a guy called Ichigo Kurosaki, she had become upset about him not being completely truthful and tried to hit him whenever she could. At this point, he merely dodged without a second thought.

"Come on!" Tatsuki cried out in frustration. "Give me another good fight!" She ran again after Tamotsu and threw several punches continually, to which he dodged as easily as if she were going in slow motion. Not once did he look at her, sometimes dodging while his back was turned.

Turning again to face Tatsuki, Tamotsu stopped pacing. "I need some time to think outside of here," he said. "I'm going out for a bit."

Tamotsu climbed the long ladder leading up to the ceiling of the training room. Tatsuki followed him. She and everyone else he had seen the previous day had spent the night there. Naomi seemed not to have slept at all, just sitting in the corner. She hadn't spoken a single word as far as Tamotsu knew. He was beginning to wonder if she just chose not to speak or was incapable of it.

Urahara opened a sliding door, revealing himself and a black cat that was resting on his shoulder. "Ah, good morning everyone," he said. "I trust you all slept well?"

Upon seeing the cat, Naomi's eyes lit up as she jumped up to grab it off of Urahara's shoulder. "Kitty!" she cried. The cat jumped down and ran into another room, running from Naomi.

Urahara sighed. "That's right," he said. "I suppose she doesn't know about Yoruichi."

"Who's that?" Tamotsu asked.

"Yoruichi is a friend of mine. She has a habit of taking the form of a black cat on occasion. She was the former Captain of Second Division. That is, until the whole incident where I got framed and she bailed me out and we got banished."

"So, Yoruichi is a Shinigami that turns into a cat?"

Urahara smiled. "You'll see."

In the other room Yoruichi backed into a corner, the black hair on her cat-form back standing on end. "Now see here, young lady," she said, her voice surprisingly masculine. "I am not what you think I am! I'll have to ask that you not chase me around!"

Not listening, Naomi jumped at the cornered cat. She grabbed it, but found that she was hugging something else. The cat was gone. Instead was a grown woman with dark skin and purple hair. Naomi was shocked at the disappearance of the cat that she didn't notice the woman was not wearing any clothing. Looking around with obvious disappointment, Naomi hung her head and exited the room.

Yoruichi sighed as she opened a cupboard and removed a set of clothing. "I'm thinking maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she said to herself.

A moment later, Yoruichi entered the room with everyone else, finishing pulling on the warmers on her arms. "So, Kisuke," she said as she adjusted the straps on her clothing. "These two are the ones you wanted me to see?"

"That's right, Yoruichi," Urahara responded. "The girl you met is Naomi Kanagawa. She remembers her life as a Shinigami. At least part of it, that is."

Yoruichi leaned over to Naomi and offered her hand. "Hello, Naomi. I'm Yoruichi." Naomi paid no attention to Yoruichi, instead focusing completely on the bowl of soup that was in front of her. "Oh, come on. Is that any way to introduce yourself?" Naomi turned away, obviously defiant this time.

"I think she only likes you when you're in cat form," Tamotsu said. Finishing his breakfast, Tamotsu stood and walked to the door. "I'm heading out for a bit. I need to clear my head."

Tatsuki stood and ran next to Tamotsu. "Hold on a minute," she said. "I'm coming with you. There's a lot I want to know."

Tamotsu stopped in the doorway. "There's a lot you don't know about me, and I don't know how much of it you'll understand. If you want to follow me, I won't stop you."

"You're a Shinigami like Ichigo. You've had a troubled life like he has. That's enough for me to need to understand."

"Again with this Ichigo guy. Whatever you think our similarities are, I can assure you there's a lot more to me than you would like to know." With that, he headed out the door followed closely by Tatsuki.

"I don't what his problem is," Chizuru said. "Last time we met him he seemed really happy."

"He's lonely," Rangiku responded.

"Lonely? But he's got all of us to support him."

"Its not that. Its his situation. So far as we know, he's the only one of his kind. Its true that we've found others who have regained their memories, but he's the only one who has his powers." Rangiku walked to a chair and sat down. "He wants to find someone else like he is. Someone he can relate to."

"But, Ichigo's a Shinigami like him too, right?" Orihime asked. "I mean, they're both humans with Shinigami powers."

"Tamotsu is different. Ichigo got his powers from Rukia, then from all of the Captains and Lieutenants. Tamotsu's power is his own. The other difference is their situation. Ichigo was always human. Tamotsu was a Shinigami, but he died and was reborn here."

"You must mean hypothetically," Chizuru said. "Like a part of him died there and he came here."

A tear formed in Rangiku's eye. "No. He died there."

"How do you know for sure?" Orihime asked.

A tear rolled down Rangiku's cheek as she answered. "Its something neither of us like talking about. I know he died there because he died in my arms."

REVELATION

Masao Rin waited until his target had passed three blocks further down the street. Once Tamotsu was out of sight, he made his way toward the strange little shop. He had stationed himself there earlier in the day, wanting to wait until the target had left before gaining intel. And about this test he heard about last night, there had to be something more to it than what he imagined.

Five minutes passed, then the other women left. They waved goodbye to the shopkeeper, Urahara, as they left. The man Kisuke Urahara puzzled Masao. He had tried to find intel on him, but came up empty handed. There were no passports, bank statements, birth certificates or anything else to even prove that the man existed.

Five more minutes. Masao was entering new territory. He didn't know what to expect, but he would never unravel the mystery of who he was by just standing there. Taking a deep breath, he approached the shop. A young red-headed boy stepped outside and saw him coming.

"Hold off a minute," the boy said. "We're not open yet."

"I'm here on other business," Masao said. "I need to speak with the shopkeeper, Kisuke Urahara.

"Its all right, Jinta," Urahara said from the doorway. "Let the man speak. Tell me, what can I do for you?"

Masao stepped forward. "I have questions for you concerning Tamotsu Toshiyuki. I know you know who he is."

"What kind of questions, if you don't mind me asking."

"About who he is, and about some particular pieces of art he has created. Also, I would like to take this test of yours."

Urahara's eyes narrowed. "So it was you I sensed last night. I could feel your presence."

"Don't get all this psychic mumbo jumbo, I've dealt with your types before. I want the truth. Nothing more."

Urahara opened the door and invited the man in. "Very well. Should you pass this test, I will answer all of your questions. But know this. If you do pass, it will reveal something about yourself as well. Are you willing to take responsibility for what you are about to unlock?"

Masao nodded and entered. "My name is Masao Rin. I'm a private detective and I know all about scams and trickery so I'll know if you're trying to cheat me."

Inside the back room, Urahara pulled out the three shelves. Uncovering the items of the first shelf, he looked at Masao. "How many items do you see?" he asked.

Masao looked carefully. The question was straightforward. He looked over the items, touching and moving each one. "Six items," he replied.

Covering the first shelf, Urahara uncovered the second which had several paintings. "Choose one."

Masao looked at Urahara carefully. Again, the requirement was straightforward. There didn't seem to be any logic. But that's when he noticed the painting of Seireitei. Something seemed distinctly familiar about the setting. He chose the Seireitei painting.

Covering the second shelf, Urahara uncovered the third and final one. It was the shelf with the Captains and their Division numbers. "Now, choose any two."

Masao stared at Urahara, trying to read his expression before looking at the next test. He seemed intent, almost interested to see which ones he would choose. He looked down at the images. It wasn't two seconds before he saw the same woman in his painting. Immediately, he pointed. "Her," he said. "I know her from somewhere. She's the one in the painting I have."

Urahara's eyes narrowed further as he stared intently at Masao. "And the second image?" Masao looked, then chose the kanji for _two_. "Very well. You have passed the three tests. I shall answer any questions you have."

"Thank you. My first question. Who is she? Why is she familiar to me?"

"Her name is Soi Fon. She is the Captain of the Second Division of the Gotei Thirteen. And, because you were able to recognize her, that means you once served under her command."

"What do you mean?"

"These tests were to indicate whether or not you are significant to a particular mission Tamotsu Toshiyuki has been sent on. In short, you are a reincarnated being from Soul Society. Lately, some people have regained memories of their past life. Toshiyuki was the first we were aware of. Now, it is his duty to discover others like him."

Masao stood up sharply. "I don't believe this. You dare to mock me? Past lives and reincarnation? Absurd! I've wasted my time here. I should have known better." Standing up to head out to the door, Masao stopped and looked back one more time. "I don't believe in such things, and I'll see you get what you deserve."

"Is this any more ridiculous than creatures that have holes in their chests and wear white masks?" Urahara asked.

Masao froze. He had seen those creatures before. People thought he was crazy. He hadn't mentioned that to the man Urahara. "What… did you say?" he asked.

Urahara was standing in the doorway, simply looking at Masao. "So you have seen them. Perhaps I should explain the test to you. I assume you did not hear the details. The first test was to see if you had Spiritual abilities. Two of the six items were made of a material that only people with these abilities could see. The image of Seireitei was also made of this material."

"What about the monsters? You've seen them as well?"

"Oh, my yes. Quite frequently. Do you remember their name?"

Masao thought. Strange creatures which hide their faces. They had holes in their chest. Hollow holes. Masao grabbed his head as images filled his mind. He remembered fighting them, but not as someone of the law. Not as someone in this world. He remembered fighting with a sword. _A sword_, he thought. _A soul-slayer sword. Zanpakuto. Used by Shinigami. And the beasts. Hollows_.

Collapsing to his knees, Masao breathed heavily as sweat dripped from his brow. Urahara approached slowly. "I… remember…" Masao said. "I was in the Stealth Squad. We were fighting Hollows. Captain Soi Fon took the lead. There were so many of them. Low level mostly, but there were a couple of Gillian. And an Adjuntas class."

Urahara went to one knee as he listened to Masao.

"The Captain…" Masao continued. "She told us to hold formation. I fought my best, but the Adjuntas came in too fast for me. I was knocked back, the formation broke and the Hollows came through. The Captain yelled at me, but my ears were ringing. I could feel the blood. She jumped away. The last thing I remember is the Adjuntas coming behind me, red energy forming at the palm of its hand. The Cero was the last thing I saw, my scream the last thing I heard."

Masao broke down, fighting the tears forming in his eyes. "Why? Why did she abandon me? I did my best, Captain! I did my best, just like you trained me to!" Unable to hold back any further, Masao broke down and let the tears flow. "I did my best…"

"I can't say I can understand exactly how you feel, Masao Rin," Urahara said. "But you are not alone. Toshiyuki, too, died due to battle. Neither he nor Rangiku enjoy talking about it, but they can sympathize. You now know the truth of who you once were. Now it is your choice on who you will become."

"I don't want to be alone. If these people can help me, if they really are like me, then I'll stay. I just want to ask you one thing, Kisuke Urahara."

Urahara looked intently into Masao's eyes. The fear was leaving, and was replaced by a look of determination. "If it is within my powers, I will help you."

"Please. I will ask only one thing of you. I want you to help me become a Shinigami once again."

**NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR**

**So the truth of Masao Rin is revealed. I know I haven't been updating as much as I would like to, but I'm pleased to say that the main story is getting back on track. Comments are always welcome, I always enjoy hearing what everyone has to say.**


	13. Friendship and Relations

MEMORIES

Naomi Kanagawa sat in her makeshift room at Urahara's shop. She was tired, but didn't want to go to sleep. Whenever she did, she always had nightmares. She was glad Rangiku had taken her out of that Institute, but there they had medicine that would make you go into a dreamless sleep. The dreams were of violence and fighting. She didn't like fighting. But she wanted to protect.

When the man Masao Rin entered earlier that day, she was afraid and hid in the corner. Rangiku had left for her work and Tamotsu Toshiyuki had to leave for personal reasons. She was alone again. She watched as Masao proceeded to take the same test that she had. He reacted differently. But when Urahara mentioned the Hollows, the man broke down. He was killed in his past life by a Hollow.

A knock at her door alerted her. Opening the door slowly, Naomi saw Kisuke and Masao standing. "Naomi," Urahara said. "This is Masao Rin. We've just talked over a few things and he will be joining us as well. He's like you, but was in Squad Two."

Naomi said nothing. She looked at the man and he looked at her. His face seemed cold and stern, not at all like Rangiku or Tamotsu, who had seemed excited when she passed the tests. They seemed warm. But if Masao was like her, then she wouldn't have to be alone.

"I'm sure this will be something for the two of us to get used to together," Masao said. Naomi nodded, then closed the door.

"She doesn't speak," Urahara said to Masao as they withdrew from the doorway. "It will have to be something to get used to. We have a training room downstairs if you would like to try some ways of regaining your powers."

Naomi returned to her corner and sat down. She wanted to go outside, but didn't want someone tagging along with her closely. Not someone she didn't know. But in order to ask to go outside, she would have to speak with someone. It wasn't that she couldn't speak, she just chose not to.

Reaching into her purse, she removed a pink camellia flower. It was her favorite kind of flower. And her favorite color. It reminded her of the Captain she once served under. He didn't seem to do much work from what she could recall. Her memories were returning, but only slowly. If she regained her powers, the power to protect, would she want to remember who she was? And what about the dreams? Were those memories of something that happened to her? Something she did? Or were they just her fears?

Closing her eyes slowly, she began to drift off. Snapping awake, she shook her head. She was too scared to sleep. No, she wouldn't sleep now. She would wait for Rangiku to return. She felt safe with her near. That's what she'll do. Wait for Rangiku. Wait for her friend.

PREMIER SPIRITUALIST

Tamotsu walked down the street, Tatsuki walking next to him. "You know," Tatsuki said. "There's an improvised Martial Arts tournament coming up in a couple of days. Maybe you could ease some of your stress there."

Tamotsu kept walking. "Improvised tournament?" he asked.

"From what I've read, the man hosting the tournament will set up a series of events. Forms, weapons and sparring. Anyone can enter, even people off the street. I don't know what he's planning overall, but I'll be entering."

"I'll have to look into it. Its been a few years since I've trained, but I always did like competing. You'll be entering as well, I presume?"

"Of course I'm competing!" Tatsuki clenched her fists in emphesis and anticipation of the event. "Nobody's gonna stand a chance against me. I'll take home first prize for sure!"

"What's the prize?"

Tatsuki looked up at the sky. "You know, it doesn't say what the winner will get. Probably just a cheap trophy or something, but the real prize for me would be winning! A good warm up for the real tournaments coming in this next month!"

Feeling a surge of energy behind him, Tamotsu sidestepped and barely missed being run into by two younger teenager. "Come on, hurry!" one of them cried. "We're gonna miss him!"

"What's going on?" Tatsuki asked.

The second teenager turned quickly to look back but didn't stop running. "Don Kanonji is in town! He's doing a special right now at the park!" The teen turned and began running full speed toward the park.

"Don Kanonji?" Tamotsu asked. "I've heard of him. Some type of spiritualist that vanquishes evil spirits or something?"

"The New Millennium's Premier Spiritualist is how he puts it," Tatsuki responded. "I've worked with him a couple of times. He means well, but is rather weak. Still, it might be a good idea for you to meet him."

Two minutes later, Tamotsu and Tatsuki worked their way to the front of a crowd of people being held back by a crude rope railing. Two cameramen filmed as the man named Kanonji fought the Hollow. It was clear that the Hollow meant to attack him with all its might, but it was being treated like a spectacle.

"You are good, bad spirit," Kanonji said. "But I will not allow your evil ways to persist in this town!"

Tamotsu's shoulders slumped as he saw the man. There he was, dressed in a manner like Mr. T and wearing a cape, dancing around swinging a staff which had no special powers of its own. What was more, an announcer narrated the man's moves like it was a boxing match. It was clear that neither the announcer, camera crew or spectators could see what was actually happening.

"Don Kanonji lunges in with his Spirit Stick," the announcer cried out, as if it were the most exciting thing he had ever seen. "Swinging and swinging, he seems to be pushing the evil spirit back! Wait, what's this? Kanonji is moving back now! The Spirit is on the offensive it seems!"

The Hollow howled and lashed out with its hand. Kanonji dodged, the Hollow struck the ground next to where he was standing. To the spectators, it seemed as if an explosion had gone off. To the ones with Spiritual Powers, Kanonji had managed to dodge what would have been a severe blow.

Kanonji came in low, then kicked the Hollow hard. Dust and debris came up as the Hollow slid backward leaving two trails kicked up from the grass. "Time to finish this up," Kanonji said, forming a triangle with his two thumbs and index fingers. "Kanonji special attack! Kanonball!"

A brilliant display of white and blue light formed in the center of the triangle, only to manifest as a small ball of blue light that seemed to float lazily toward the target.

Tamotsu's expression sank even deeper. "Amateur…" he said. Raising his hand, Tatsuki looked and her eyes went wide as a large ball of red energy began forming in Tamotsu's palm. "Shakkaho," he whispered.

The ball of red energy erupted from her hand and raced past Kanonji. Half a second later, the Hollow was struck and a shock wave of energy rocked the surrounding area.

Kanonji stood dumbfounded. _Where did that energy come from?_ he thought. He wasn't able to dwell on the thought much, as the cheers from the crowd erupted.

"We love you, Don Kanonji!" a girl from the audience cried out. The rest of the audience cheered, as the explosion had clearly meant success for the Spiritualist.

Swallowing his pride that it was not actually him that vanquished the bad spirit, Kanonji turned and put on the largest smile he could muster and flashed a peace sign toward the audience. "Mission success!" he cried. Crossing his arms over his chest, Kanonji began laughing. "Bohahahaha!" The entire audience mimicked this, laughing with him. All, that is, except for two watchers who were walking away and seemed not to try drawing attention. Kanonji looked at them. _Strong spirits_, he thought.

Tamotsu walked along the street, Tatsuki walking close behind. "You know," she said. "Kanonji could have dealt with that himself. He's not completely incompetent."

Tamotsu said nothing. He was still worked up over how large this task of finding Reincarnates and how it seemed to be wearing him down. Staying quiet, he seemed to wander aimlessly with no real destination in mind. Soon he found himself standing on a bridge overlooking the river that ran through the center of town. He stared at the tranquil water below, remembering how often he did that while in Soul Society.

"Come on, Tamotsu," Hinohebi said. Tamotsu looked over. She had materialized again, leaning next to the guard rail. "You know I hate it when you get upset, and it makes me upset too."

Tamotsu was about to say something, but a vehicle approached and stopped next to them. The door opened and Don Kanonji stepped out. "There you are, kids!" he said, sounding thrilled. "It took me a while to do so, but I finally found the one who assisted me with that bad spirit." Looking over, he saw Hinohebi standing next to the bridge. "Oh, and who might this be?"

Hinohebi smiled cheerily and extended her hand. "I'm Hinohebi," she said. Kanonji took her hand and they shook in greeting. "Pleased to meet you."

"Can I help you with something, Kanonji?" Tamotsu asked, still looking over the water.

"There is, actually," Kanonji responded. "Today you showed me something. I always believed my power to be great with the exception of a few. And you, a random newcomer, surpasses me in a way I never could have imagined."

Tatsuki approached and spread her arms. "But Kanonji," she said. "You're still doing good at teaching kids about heroics, aren't you? Your show is still on the air."

Kanonji lowered his gaze and joined Tamotsu in looking over the water. "Things are not as good as they would appear, I'm afraid. The network is considering cancelling my show. Viewers are dropping and I get many messages that people believe my show to be fake. I'm afraid its only a matter of time before they take me off the air, then I'll have no way of reaching out and teaching people of courage. Of what it means to be a hero."

"You talk of heroics," Tamotsu said. "Yet you prance around and perform theatrics when all around you there are unsung heroes. Does it really make a difference how many of the Hollows you destroy? When there are Shinigami who risk their lives and slay them every day and nobody knows about them? Tell me, hero. What does that word mean?"

"Is he always like this?" Kanonji asked to no one in particular.

"He's been having a rough week," Hinihebi responded. "He just regained his Shinigami powers and memories of how he died in Soul Society, then finds out about his past and he has a sister that he died to protect-"

"Hinohebi!" Tamotsu cried out suddenly. "That's enough!"

Kanonji's expression changed solemn. "I see," he said. "You performed true acts of heroism. And did it not to be noticed but for someone you loved." Kanonji fell to his knees before Tamotsu. "Please, I ask of you. A true hero. Your power is much greater than mine. If I am to continue to teach children the lessons of courage, I need to become stronger. A hero always strives to become stronger so he can better protect, am I correct?"

Tamotsu looked down at the man. He was sincere in his plea, that much was clear. He did believe he was doing the right thing, but lacked the training.

Finally, Tamotsu nodded. "All right," he said. "It will not be easy, and I will have to test your limits. I will test your abilities and teach you how to fight rather than prancing around. I'm sure Urahara would like to assist as well."

Kanonji looked up. "Would that be Kisuke Urahara?" he asked. "I've met him before, after one of my shows on stage. Strong spirit."

"I doubt that you're a Reincarnate like me, but I'm striving for something as well. I'm meant to find others like myself and presumably lead them. I can't be that leader if I turn down someone who asks for help."

"Thank you. Tell me, young man. What is your name?"

"My name is Tamotsu Toshiyuki."

"Yes, I can see it now. Tamotsu Toshiyuki! Sidekick to this millenium's premier Spiritualist!"

Kanonji's fantasy was cut short by Tamotsu smacking the back of his head. "I said I'd train you, not join you!"

Standing up, Kanonji rubbed the back of his head and smiled. "My bad. Force of habit I suppose."

Masao Rin dropped his belongings into one of the spare rooms of Urahara's shop. Since he was now part of this organization, or was in his past life at least, he was told that he could stay as long as he wanted. He would stay at least until he regained his Shinigami powers. He wasn't sure exactly how this would happen, or even if it were possible. It was possible for at least one person, he knew. Tamotsu Toshiyuki.

Thinking of that name, Masao picked up the painting he had recently purchased. "Soi Fon," he said. "Captain of the Second Division. Stealth Ops." Placing the painting on the floor so he could look at it from his sleeping area, he sat down and stared.

He remembered looking at Soi Fon in the moments before his death. She had yelled something at him, but he couldn't hear what it was. She leapt back, then he saw the Cero that ended his life as a Shinigami. "Soi Fon, why?" He looked at the painting, almost expecting it to answer. "Captain… Why did you allow me to die? Why did you abandon me?"

Looking over, he noticed the door was still open. Naomi was walking past. She stopped when she noticed him looking at her. She uttered something that sounded almost like a curious gasp. Then taking a look at the painting, she offered a short bow to Masao and continued walking.

Masao rose and exited the room. Taking one last look at the painting, he closed the door. Finding his way to the front of the store he saw Naomi sitting on the front steps holding a black cat. She was stroking it, holding it close to her body. _The girl has issues_, Masao thought. _Extreme trauma, perhaps. Fear and looking for comfort._ He shook his head. That was his training taking over. He couldn't help but analyze.

Sitting down next to the girl, he decided to try making conversation. If he was going to be staying here for a while, he'd better make the best of it. "So, it was Naomi right?" he asked. Naomi said nothing. "That's a pretty cat you've got there. Is it yours or does it belong to Kisuke?" Still, she said nothing. "Come on, don't you ever talk? We're alike, you and me. At least, that's what I hear."

"If she doesn't wish to speak then she doesn't have to," the cat said.

Masao stumbled back. "Did that cat just speak?"

"Actually I'm not really a cat," it said, opening it eyes and looking at him. "I'm only in this form right now because it calms Naomi. To be completely truthful, I'm actually a former Shinigami."

"A former Shinigami? Like the two of us?"

"No, not like you. Let me put it this way. You were in the Second Division, is that right?"

"That's right, but I don't recall you being anywhere to overhear. How do you know?"

"I didn't hear it from anyone. I know you were in Second Division because I remember you. Perhaps I should just clear things up and tell you who I am. My name is Yoruichi Shihoin."

Masao's heart skipped a beat. "C- C- Captain Yoruichi!"

"That's right. And I know what you're thinking. Yes, I did abandon my position and was branded a traitor for some time. But that has since been resolved. The true traitor was Sosuke Aizen, who framed Kisuke Urahara for experimentation. Being friends, I had to help. But that was a long time ago. We've been living here ever since."

Masao couldn't take his eyes off of the black cat. Was this really his former Captain? He didn't remember too much, but he did remember her. She seemed playful, a fun Captain that didn't want to work too hard. But when she left and Soi Fon took over the Division, everything became strict.

"Hello, I'm back," Rangiku called out as she walked toward the shop. Naomi smiled and gently placed Yoruichi on the ground before running to Rangiku with a full embrace. "Oh, come on. I've only been gone a couple of hours."

Masao looked at Rangiku. _Rangiku Matsumoto_, he thought. _Lieutenant of Tenth Division. I remember-_ a sharp pain hit Masao as he thought. Memories were returning.

"I can see that this is a bit much for you," Yoruichi said. "I'll go inside and change since I think a talking cat would only add more to your strain. Its only natural to have pain while memories are being forced to the surface of your mind." Walking to the back, Yoruichi disappeared between the barrels and boxes. She was right, the talking cat thing was putting a bit more strain than what he was able to handle.

Rangiku and Naomi walked inside and Masao stood up. He turned to see a few more figures approaching the store. One was the girl Tatsuki, another was Tamotsu Toshiyuki. The third man, who he thought he saw on TV once with extravagant clothing, walked with them. Feeling obligated, Masao approached Tamotsu.

"Tamotsu Toshiyuki," he said, bowing slightly in respect. "My name is Masao Rin. I purchased your painting of Captain Soi Fon, I believe I once served under her command. I believe I am a Reincarnate like yourself."

"I was wondering when you'd show yourself," Tamotsu said.

"Excuse me?"

"I could feel your presence following me ever since I regained my powers. Your stealth techniques might have worked on humans, but not me. In any case, I'm glad to have you with us."

The tall man with them rubbed his chin. "Hmm…," he said. "Another strong spirit. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Don Kanonji, the Premier Spiritualist of the New Millennium!"

Tamotsu smacked Kanonji off-side the head. "Lesson one," he said. "Stop doing that! You want to impress people do it with deeds, not flashy introductions."

"Sorry about that. Force of habit."

The group entered the shop finding Naomi sitting down and eating out of a tub of caramel candy. "Easy there, Naomi," Rangiku said. "Don't eat too much of it."

Kanonji's eyes lit up at the sight of Rangiku. "It's the Mysterious Girl!" he cried out. Jumping over the the barrels and boxes of candy, Kanonji landed and wrapped his arm around Rangiku. "Long have I searched for the mysterious warrior who saved me, the hero, that day so long ago. At last we can vanquish the evil spirits together!"

"Lay off my sister!" Tamotsu screamed. Kanonji looked up toward the front of the shop, but Tamotsu was already behind him. A burst of tornado force wind blew Kanonji out the front door, sending him sprawling thirty feet from the entrance. Tamotsu thrust his hand forward sending glowing chains out that wrapped tightly around the man.

The next thing he knew, Kanonji was being held by his shirt collar with Tamotsu holding his right hand ready to strike while yellow electricity surged around his forearm and hand. "Lesson two. Nobody touches my sister. Understand?"

"What? That beautiful woman is your sister?"

A red ball of energy began forming in Tamotsu's hand, which still swirled with the electrical current. "Do you understand?" he yelled.

Nervous sweat poured from Kanonji's brow as he realized this was being treated so seriously. "Yes. Oh, yes. No touching. In fact, I'll just ignore her all together."

The energies surrounding Tamotsu faded slowly and the glowing chains vanished. "Good." Standing up and brushing himself off, Tamotsu returned to the interior of the shop.

"I could have handled him myself, Kiyoshi," Rangiku said. "And didn't we agree to keep that a secret?"

"It would have gotten out sooner or later. I'm going down to the training area."

Urahara narrowed his eyes. _The ability to perform level sixty kido spells without reciting the incantation or even the name_, he thought. _On top of that, it seemed he was able to modify Hado 11 and combine it with Hado 31. That level of control would be Captain level at minimum._

_Tatsuki stared wide-eyed as Tamotsu opened the sliding door to the back of the shop and closed it again. She had fought him before, but he never displayed that kind of power. She had never witnessed anything like that from the Shinigami before. It even seemed that the others who knew of these things were surprised. Did she really want to try getting back at him for testing her limits? Seeing that display, she wasn't sure it was a good idea anymore. It seemed the last thing anyone wanted to do was get him angry._

"_Excuse me, Rangiku," Tatsuki said. "But didn't you call him Kiyoshi? I thought his name was Tamotsu."_

"_Tamotsu Toshiyuki was a name that was given to him when he was taken away for protection," Rangiku responded. "I don't know why he kept that name when he was reborn here. His real name is Kiyoshi Matsumoto. He was my brother in his life before this one."_

_Naomi had seen the whole thing. It seemed that Tamotsu was the type of person who would protect those who were close to him. Maybe he could be one to sympathize with her. She would have to get to know him more, but it was apparent that this seemed to be someone she could trust. She didn't trust easily due to her past, having one disappointment after another. But hopefully this man could help her come to terms with who she is. And who she was._


	14. The Secret of Power

NIGHTMARES

Tamotsu awoke when he heard the screaming. He was staying at Urahara's shop for a while for seeking out the Reincarnates along with Rangiku, and it seemed now that he had chosen correctly. Running through the halls, he entered Naomi's room. She was crying, being held by Rangiku.

"Bad dreams," Rangiku said. "She's exhausted but doesn't seem to want to sleep. This seems to happen a lot when she does, it would seem."

Finding the strength to pull away from Rangiku for a moment, Naomi looked at Tamotsu. Her tears caused the makeup on her eyes to smear. "Tamotsu…" she said, almost in a whisper. "You will… protect me?"

Taken back by the question, Tamotsu thought a moment on how he could answer the girl's question. Taking a deep breath, he answered. "Yes. I will protect you." Naomi was obviously scared deeply by something, but she rarely spoke. He would have to connect with her if he were to find out what she was so afraid of. "I promise you, I will do all that I can to protect you."

Naomi nodded, indicating that she understood. Tamotsu left and Rangiku stood to leave but was halted when Naomi held her hand tightly.

"You don't want me to go?" Rangiku asked. Naomi shook her head. "Okay. I'll stay here with you tonight. No more bad dreams. You need to rest. You're safe with us." Naomi nodded and slowly drifted to sleep again in Rangiku's arms.

Masao was standing in the hallway when Tamotsu passed. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Naomi had a bad dream," Tamotsu answered. "She's fine, and Rangiku's probably going to spend the rest of the night in there with her."

"Must have been one hell of a nightmare for her to scream like that. Guess it'll take time for all of us to figure things out." With nothing more to say, Masao returned to his room. It was true. There were many things for them to get used to. He couldn't blame the girl. Remembering his own death had caused him, a grown man, to break down. He could only imagine the impact it would have on a teenage girl.

Tamotsu was unable to sleep again. Too many thoughts were racing through his mind. He had to be calm, and calm was something that seemed to come rarely these past days. It was barely midnight, but he no longer felt tired. And he couldn't just sit around doing nothing. Sitting up, he made his way to another room. Urahara and Yoruichi were sitting at a table drinking some type of tea. He decided to join them.

"Ah, Tamotsu," Urahara said. "Decided to stay up as well, did you?"

Tamotsu sat down between the two former Shinigami. "I'm getting a bit overwhelmed here," he said. "Its kind of difficult for me to know what my life was like before my memories and powers returned."

"You're taking the world on your shoulders," Yoruichi said. "You keep viewing this as your responsibility and yours alone. We're here to assist you any time you need us, you can't be afraid to ask. Even Naomi asked if you would protect her, and that's the most she's talked her entire time here."

"I suppose you're right. Maybe I am being too hard on myself. This is just such a unique thing I've been assigned to do."

"We're all here for you, just ask and we'll see what we can do." Yoruichi smiled. "You've got two former Captains ready to help."

"Thank you, I appreciate it." Feeling a bit better, Tamotsu returned to his room. At least he didn't have to go about this alone.

TRAINING

The next morning, Tamotsu and Masao were un the underground training area. Tamotsu had changed into Shinigami form, Lucky in his body watching from the sidelines. He was accompanied by the other Mod Souls in their human Gigai with Naomi, Rangiku and Hinohebi watching.

Masao had been equipped with a sword, Tamotsu using his Zanpakuto. It was in its sealed form, as Tamotsu had asked Hinohebi to do this for the purpose of training Masao. She reluctantly agreed, preferring to be with him. But this was something he said he had to do on his own.

Tamotsu swung down, Masao blocking the strike then counterattacking to which Tamotsu parried and spun. This training was for him as well, since he hadn't fought with a sword for some time. He did some training while studying martial arts, but had become rusty and that was mostly for show. This time, they were training for actual combat.

Masao used an aggressive form. Being from the Second Division, his technique was aimed toward working his way into the opponent's weaker spots and striking the vital areas. Quick jabs and thrusts constituted the majority of his methods. Tamotsu fought differently. As in his fight with Tatsuki, he favored a more defensive method. Blocking the majority of the strikes and then striking when the opportunity presented itself.

Three more jabs from Masao, all of which Tamotsu blocked. Bringing his sword up for a power strike, Masao realized his mistake as Tamotsu came in with a thrust and rested the blade next to Masao's neck. That round over, they jumped back.

"Wow," Ririn said. "They've been going at it straight for almost ten minutes. Is this really going to help Masao regain his powers?"

"I believe he is trying the same technique he used with Tatsuki," Urahara said. "Trying to bring him to the breaking point and then pushing beyond in an attempt to jump start Masao's powers."

"Will it work?"

"Its hard to say. We haven't exactly been able to study this before."

Tamotsu brought up his sword in a defensive starting stance, then lowered it. "This isn't working," he said. "We're pushing you physically, but you need that emotional boost as well. Ririn. Could you change the setting for us?"

"Huh?" Ririn looked confused. "Yes, I can do that I suppose. What would you like me to do?"

Tamotsu thought for a moment. "A forest setting. With Hollows. Kurodo, come here a moment?"

Kurodo approached Tamotsu and they exchanged a few words which the others could not hear. "You want me to what?" Kurodo asked.

"I believe it's the only way for this to work." Tamotsu nodded to Ririn, who nodded in return. The training area simmered like a dissolving illusion, then appeared in a forest at night. The howls of Hollows filled the air. Out of the woodwork, several Hollows appeared and attacked Masao.

"What the hell are you thinking, Tamotsu?" Masao cried out. Dividing his attention, Masao was taken back by shock and anger at the masses of Hollows that were now flowing out of the forest. Swinging wildly, his focus lost, he slew several Hollows. But for every one he cut down, two more appeared.

A flurry appeared before him and began to slay the Hollows one after another. He couldn't make out the shape until it stopped. It was Captain Soi Fon! "What are you doing just standing there?" Soi Fon asked. "Have you lost your nerve? This is a battle! Don't lose your focus!"

With Masao's guard down, Tamotsu attacked again. Taking the offensive, Tamotsu struck again and again. Masao seemed to be losing his nerve, but Tamotsu believed that he had to push him to the threshold of what he could handle in order to regain his powers.

Two more Hollows appeared. Masao diverted his attention and struck at them, turning his back to Tamotsu in the process. Tamotsu struck again, to which Masao barely managed to dodge.

"You fool!" Soi Fon cried. "Your opponent is Tamotsu! Stay focused on the task at hand!"

On the sidelines, Naomi drew closer and pulled Rangiku's arm around her. "Don't worry," Rangiku said. "This is all an illusion. The only thing that is real is Tamotsu and Masao." Naomi looked at Rangiku questioningly. She nodded, indicating that she understood. Her grip loosened, but she kept Rangiku's arm around her shoulder.

"Focus, Masao!" Soi Fon cried out, almost to the point of yelling. "Your mission is to fight Tamotsu!"

"I'm trying, Captain!" Masao yelled. His eyes were wide, beads of sweat were forming over his brow. A Hollow appeared out of the woods and opened its mouth. Red energy formed as it charged its Cero. "No. No! NO!" Masao screamed and braced himself. A burst of purple energy erupted from him as he screamed. Wind raced through the training area, then the light and wind faded.

When Masao opened his eyes, everything had returned to normal. He was still in his human form. He had felt the release of energy, but that was all it had been. He hadn't regained his Shinigami powers yet.

Tamotsu sighed. "That was close," Tamotsu said. "But rather than forging yourself into a warrior, you froze. That's enough for today." Sheathing his zanpakuto, he passed Masao who was still breathing heavily while on his hands and knees. "We'll try again tomorrow."

"Master, do you think it wise to push the poor man so hard?" Lucky asked. "Truth be told, I do not believe the man capable of sustaining an emotional strain such as that again."

"I don't know how else to do it, Lucky," Tamotsu responded. "I'm trying to replicate the emotional strain and exhaustion I felt when I regained my powers. Something's still missing. I have to find out what that is." Tamotsu stepped into his body. There was the standard flash of light, then Tamotsu spit out the green pill and placed it into the stuffed owl. "I'm going to lie down for a bit. Let me know if anything happens." With that, Tamotsu began climbing the ladder leading back to the main level of the shop.

Masao still stooped on his hands and knees breathing heavily. He had frozen. He had freaked out and frozen. He had to overcome that fear. He realized now that the whole ordeal had been an illusion. The only real threat was Tamotsu's attacks. He had felt the outburst of energy. He was close to regaining his powers, but he would have to push himself further. Not today, though. He'd had enough for today.

Soi Fon landed next to Masao, then transformed into Kurodo. "I do have to apologize for what I had to put you through," Kurodo said. "It wasn't my idea."

"It's all right, Kurodo," Masao replied. "I know what he was trying to do. I understand his motives, but its difficult. I suppose regaining that lost power isn't as easy as I thought it would be."

FACING THE PAST

Tamotsu sat down and sighed. There was something he was missing. Something that he did that he hadn't made Masao do yet. He had been both physically and emotionally strained, but there was something else.

"You're being hard on yourself," Yoruichi said. Tamotsu looked up. She was in her cat form again. "It is a difficult thing trying to regain a power thought lost. Especially with so little knowledge on the topic."

"I regained all of my memories of a Shinigami," Tamotsu responded. "I remember everything. All the hardships I faced and the problems caused by me being unable to control my own reiatsu. For forty years I struggled to stay admitted into the Academy. I don't know how many times I had almost been kicked out."

"Forty years, you say?" Yoruichi sat and looked Tamotsu in the eye. "I haven't heard much of you, Tamotsu Toshiyuki. Other than you are Rangiku's younger brother. Or were, I suppose. This situation of yours presents some problems. So tell me. What was your experience in the Academy? Why were you kept as a student?"

Tamotsu sighed. "When I first entered, I was quite pathetic. Due to the seal that had been placed on me to suppress my reiatsu, my reflexes were weak. I had agility, but couldn't sustain fights. Everything moved too fast for me to react to. I was unable to perform Shunpo, or even stand in the air. I still can't do that. The only thing I was any good at was performing Kido spells."

"And why was that?"

"I don't know. I suppose it was an easy escape for my reiatsu out of my body. After seven years, when everyone else was graduating, I was still only able to perform Kido. I failed the tests and was going to be released."

"I see. So what changed? Why did they keep you?"

"I felt lonely. Desperate even. I had a dream that night. I was in a desert. I heard a woman's voice. She said I was not alone and that she would protect me if I asked her. The next morning, I found the zanpakuto lying next to me. It was like it had been left there for me. I took it with me when I went to see the instructors. When they discovered I'd had a zanpakuto manifest itself to me, they decided to let me stay. But it was still hard."

"That zanpakuto. It was Hinohebi, I presume?"

"Yes. That was the only time I heard her voice while I was in the Academy. The years following was the same. I couldn't perform well physically, but always excelled in Kido. The instructors actually took me out and placed me into a specialized class. Year after year I learned, by the time I graduated I had mastered the majority of the numbered Kido spells."

Yoruichi listened intently to the story. "Forty years is a long time. Tell me. What made it so you were finally able to graduate?"

Tamotsu sighed. "His name was Fumio Tanaka. He befriended me in my classes. He refused to graduate early despite encouragement by the instructors. We became the best of friends. He helped me. Thanks to him, I was able to graduate after three additional years. Soon after, Hinohebi manifest herself again. It was during a battle against Hollows. I saw Fumio with his incredible technique, myself only barely managing to keep off the hordes of Hollows that kept coming. Because of my poor reflexes, I just swung the sword wildly and managed to slay several. No form. Just luck."

Tamotsu began to get emotional. Yoruichi remained silent to show respect. "It was then I heard her name. After that, fighting became easy. My reflexes were still slow, but Hinohebi adjusted for that. I swung the whip, she aimed. I got promoted to Third Seat by Captain Hitsugaya. I suppose Fumio was jealous of me. I don't know the details, but he started distancing himself not only from me but from everyone. Somehow, he had gained access to Hollow powers. It corrupted him. Took him over. Fighting him was the second time I had ever used Bankai. The seal was broken and my power flowed freely."

Tears formed in Tamotsu's eyes as he continued. "We fought. I killed him. After that, my power still tried to escape. My body couldn't handle it. I died that night. I died in Rangiku's arms. I had loved her, but didn't know why. It was only recently I found out she was my sister." Unable to hold back the emotional strain, Tamotsu broke down and the tears flowed freely.

"I thank you, Tamotsu," Yoruichi said. "I know that must have been difficult for you. I know I can't compare to what you and the other Reincarnates must have experienced. But if you need anything, even someone to talk to, you can always turn to us." Standing up, the cat Yoruichi exited Tamotsu's room. Looking up, Tamotsu noticed Naomi looking at him. It looked like she was about to cry as well.

"You died… to protect," Naomi said. "Always protect." Turning away, the girl walked on.

_I died to protect the people I loved,_ Tamotsu thought. _To protect._

POWER TO PROTECT

The Hollow sniffed the air. It was getting dark. It didn't matter if it were day or night. There were more souls to choose from during the day, but the tastier ones came out at night. And it smelled some that would be wonderful. Several of them, all together. And if it took the chance just right, they could all be for its consumption.

Naomi sat in front of Urahara's shop. There was too much tension inside and she didn't like it. Both Tamotsu and Masao seemed to be having trouble accepting the truth behind their deaths. But death was something she had lived with a long time. It seemed to follow her everywhere. Close friends and even family had died. She thought now it was because her reiatsu attracted the Hollows and her family got in the way. To escape, she had adopted a dark place as her refuge.

Yoruichi, still in her cat form, approached Naomi. "You feel the tension too, don't you?" Yoruichi asked. Naomi said nothing, but picked the cat up and began petting it. "I can't be like this all the time. You know that."

Naomi stopped stoking the cat's back long enough to hold it close in an embrace, then looked into Yoruichi's eyes. She nodded slowly, indicating that she understood.

"Still just a child." Yoruichi smiled.

A sudden burst of reiatsu shattered the calm mood. Yoruichi recognized the type of reiatsu immediately. Seconds later, the rest of the group exited the shop. They looked as the Hollow turned a corner and stared at them.

"Everybody, back inside!" Yoruichi called as she jumped down to the ground. "I'll handle this."

Naomi shook her head. Racing out, she stepped in front of Yoruichi and spread her arms to block the Hollow.

"Naomi, what are you doing?" Yoruichi cried. "Get inside, you can't do anything!"

Naomi shook her head and stood firm as the Hollow approached. "Naomi, get back here!" Rangiku said.

"No, wait," Tamotsu responded. "Yoruichi. Stay in that form. Nobody interfere."

"Kiyoshi! You can't be serious!"

"Trust me! Stay ready, but don't do anything unless I say. Understood?" Reluctantly, everyone nodded. _Come on,_ Tamotsu thought. _This has to work._

The Hollow approached and looked down at Naomi. It was three times her height, even while hunched over. It walked on its knuckles like a gorilla, staring at her with glowing yellow eyes from behind a bone-white mask. It stopped in front of Naomi, who hadn't moved from her spot.

"You smell good, human," the Hollow said. "But the cat behind you smells better!" With a quick movement, the Hollow hit Naomi and sent her sprawling onto the ground.

"Naomi!" Rangiku cried out simultaneously with Yoruichi. They began to move toward Naomi but were stopped by Tamotsu.

"Everyone stay put!" Tamotsu cried.

"Are you crazy?" Rangiku asked, almost yelling. "She's hurt!"

"Not yet!" Tamotsu stared intently as Naomi struggled to stand. Obviously discouraged, Yoruichi listened and stood her ground but ready to attack if the Hollow advanced much further. Naomi lifted her head, several scratches covered her face. _Come on, Naomi_, Tamotsu thought. _You can do this!_

Naomi looked at the Hollow, slowly approaching Yoruichi's position. "Kitty," she said, still in her small soft voice. "No. NO!"

With that final shout, an incredible burst of red energy erupted into the air in the area surrounding Naomi. The reiatsu level jumped, and it seemed like someone else was standing in the same spot as her.

Tamotsu had been wrong this whole time. To protect. That was the key. Pushing the physical and emotional limitations weren't the right way to regain the Shinigami Powers. It was the will and desire to protect. That's the thought he had when he regained his powers. And this was the thought Naomi had now. She had to protect.

The energy dissipated and Naomi stood in her Shinigami form. Instead of the standard bottom, she wore a short skirt and wore an obi decorated with a pink Camillia flower. She drew her zanpakuto, which seemed more like a dagger than a sword.

The Hollow laughed. "What do you intend to do with that?" the Hollow bellowed. "That wouldn't even break my skin!"

Naomi took a stance, bringing her left arm across her body and placing the zanpakuto at an opposite angle, forming a cross. "Defend, _Shirrudo no Kusabana_," she said. The zanpakuto glowed bright red and extended outward. When the light faded, a shield had formed over her left forearm. It was circular with twelve black flowers on the outer portion, and a thirteenth in the center.

The Hollow lunged at Yoruichi, but was suddenly blocked by Naomi's shield.

"Was that Shunpo?" Rangiku asked. "Could she really use Shunpo that soon after regaining her powers?"

The force of the Hollow's impact against the shield caused ripples of energy to burst from the shield. It would seem that the impact should have caused Naomi to be sent flying again, but she stood her ground and didn't move. When the energy faded, three of the flowers on the shield were glowing bright red.

Naomi looked over the top of her shield and glared at the Hollow. "_Kusabana Taihou," she said. The center flower glowed brightly as the others faded. The Hollow's eyes grew wide and a burst of energy erupted from the center of the shield. The light faded and the Hollow stood motionless. It remained that way for several seconds and then dissolved into the air. Naomi stood and the zanpakuto returned to normal. She sheathed it turned to Yoruichi. Yoruichi looked up at Naomi, but didn't have time to react before she was picked up and hugged tightly._

"_Kitty!" Naomi squealed with delight._

"_I told you before, I am not really a kitty!" Yoruichi yelled. "I am the former Captain of the Second Division! I am the daughter of a Noble Family!"_

_Naomi didn't care. She had saved the kitty from the Hollow and regained her powers. That was all that mattered._

"_Oh, I've had enough," Yoruichi said. With a burst of smoke and mist, she transformed into her human self. Naomi looked up into Yoruichi's yellow eyes after the transformation with surprise for a moment. With a sound of obvious disappointment she let go, turned around and folded her arm and refused to pay any attention to the woman that was now before her._

_Masao approached Tamotsu. "I don't understand," he said. "I was pushed a lot further and harder than she was. What was the difference between us, Tamotsu?"_

_Tamotsu smiled. "I thought if I could push you beyond your physical and emotional limit then you could regain your powers. I was wrong. The desire to protect is the key. The desire to protect your friends. Your family. To perform your duty. I realize now that was what was going on when I regained my powers. I wanted to protect. We just need to find what you wish to protect. Then, your powers will return as well."_

_Masao nodded. He understood what Tamotsu had meant. He knew why he was pushed so hard. But he had to overcome his fears in order to have the courage to protect. He needed the desire to protect. The only thing was, he didn't want to protect. That wasn't why he wanted his powers back. He had been abandoned and betrayed. He would play their game for now, but his goal was not the same as the others._


	15. A Past Before the Past

DREAMS AND MEMORIES

Naomi looked down at the two Shinigami lying dead at her feet. Blood dripped from her fingers as she stared. Rearing back, she let out a scream. Screaming for what? Anger? Pain? Blood lust? She didn't know. Looking around, several more Shinigami drew their zanpakuto and charged. She knocked two down with one swing of her arm, then lunged at a third. She felt bones breaking as she punched the third Shinigami in the ribs. He fell down gasping, then collapsed completely.

Looking behind her and into the sky, another Shinigami leapt high with his zanpakuto raised. Naomi released a burst of red energy that struck the Shinigami squarely and sent him flying into the woods. Turning again, she dodged as another Shinigami from the squad swung her zanpakuto. She swung again, but Naomi caught the blade this time.

Raising her hand toward the Shinigami, Naomi saw red energy forming in her hand. The Shinigami panicked and raised her finger to Naomi's face.

"Hado number four!" the Shinigami cried. "Byakurai!" A brilliant burst of energy erupted from both Naomi and the Shinigami. The resulting explosion caused the night air to become brighter than day.

Naomi woke up screaming. Seconds later, Rangiku entered and Naomi immediately threw herself into the older woman's arms. Sobbing uncontrollably, all she could do was be held.

"Nightmares again?" Rangiku asked. Naomi nodded. "Its okay. They're just dreams. Dreams can't hurt you."

Were these really dreams? She had seen these images before, but never with this amount of clarity. She had regained her Shinigami powers the previous day when she protected Yoruichi from the Hollow. She thought that once she had these powers back that the dreams would stop. It seemed they wouldn't. What were these dreams? Memories, perhaps? Did she really kill those Shinigami? Or were they just her fears of what this power could do?

Naomi despised violence, but knew it was necessary sometimes in order to keep the peace. If at all possible, she wished to resolve conflicts without resorting to such measures. That was why her zanpakuto was so small. In its regular sealed form, it was useless in battle. In Shikai form, it absorbed the attacks from outside and stored the energy. Physical and particle energy, it didn't matter. Then, with that energy, she could do with it what she wanted. Either hit the enemy with its own attack power or use it to heal herself or others. She would never lash out and cause violence. She was a protector.

But why did she have these dreams? It was like her inner being was taunting her. Like some desire deep within her soul that she has. Or had at one time. It was no wonder Tamotsu was distraught lately. Regaining memories from one's past lives took a major toll, especially if you were caught unprepared. And the memories of your own death didn't help matters either.

Naomi relaxed a bit and let go of Rangiku. She smiled, indicating that she was fine now. Rangiku nodded and left the room. She had always been kind to Naomi. She loved sake and didn't like working too much, but you could always count on her to be fierce when she needed to be.

Naomi didn't go to sleep again that night. She sat and rested, but refused to let herself go back to sleep. She didn't want to have the nightmares again. She knew she couldn't keep going on like this, but couldn't bring herself to talk about it. Not yet.

THE HERO'S TRAINING

Don Kanonji stood gazing at the scenery that surrounded him. This was the first time he had entered Urahara's underground training area. Tamotsu stood next to him in his Shinigami form. Yesterday had been set aside for Masao's training, but today there was hope to make the Premier Spiritualist into a true protector.

"Are you ready to begin?" Tamotsu asked.

Kanonji looked down and smiled. "I have awaited this day for a long time," he said. "Tell me, what do we begin doing?"

Before he knew what had happened, Kanonji was facing a sword blade that was stopped only inches from his face. "First thing we teach you," Tamotsu said, his gaze away from Kanonji. "You need to work on your reflexes. There are Hollows that can move quickly, and the best attacks in the world will do you no good if you can't dodge your opponent's attacks."

Tamotsu lunged at Kanonji, who barely managed to move out of the way and miss getting struck by the zanpakuto Hinohebi. "Easy there, boy! Are you trying to kill me?"

"If I were trying to kill you, you'd already be dead. What you need to do is work on your reflexes." Another flurry of swings and Kanonji, despite being completely freaked out, managed to evade without allowing so much as a thread on his jacket to get cut.

"Kanonji!" Urahara cried. Turning half a second to see what was happening, Urahara tossed a sword to the Spiritualist. "Take this!"

Kanonji caught the sword by the handle, but fumbled and lost control. He managed to catch it by clasping the sides of the blade between his hands without getting cut.

"That is a nameless zanpakuto we use to train Shinigami. You will undergo the same training, only in a more condensed time."

Holding the sword awkwardly, Kanonji took a stance. "Now that we know you can dodge, how well are your blocks and attacks?" Tamotsu asked. Coming in from the side, Tamotsu slashed at an upward forty-five degree angle. Kanonji blocked it and moved the attacking sword upward. Using the momentum, Tamotsu spun around and struck again. Kanonji blocked and Tamotsu spun backward and struck again from the opposite side. Again, Kanonji blocked it.

Several more times, about half of his full speed, Tamotsu attacked. True, Hollows did not possess weapons other than what their own bodies were equipped with, but this was to work on blocking other aspects the Hollows may have. From experience he knew all too well about the claws, scythes, whips and clubs the Hollows used to fight with.

Aside from his shrieks of surprise, Kanonji did quite well. Tamotsu picked up the speed but stayed with basic attacks. After another flurry, he stopped and looked at the man. Panting and sweating, but otherwise uninjured. He smiled and said, "Not bad. You did better than I expected. I think we can take a break from this part of the training."

Kanonji collapsed onto his knees and dropped the sword. "This training is indeed difficult, boy," Kanonji said.

"I would prefer you not call me boy. I'm much older than I look. Now that I know you're not completely incompetent in fighting I'll go ahead to the next lesson. Keep this up and you'll be back out there saving people within a week."

Kanonji stood. "You have that much faith in me?" he asked.

Tamotsu nodded. "Do you see that target? The one on the wooden posts?" Kanonji looked and saw several posts standing in a clearing. "I would like for you to fire your special attack at it and destroy the target."

"Right!" Kanonji formed a triangle with his fingers and bright blue and white energy formed a small sphere in the center. "Kanonji special attack. Kanon-ball!" Thrusting his hands forward, the ball gained momentum. As soon as it left his hands, the ball of energy slowly moved up and down toward the target.

Tamotsu walked alongside the ball, then walked in a circle around it. Looking at his wrist indicating it was taking a long time, he performed a false yawn and sat down. A moment later, the ball finally reached the intended target. The resulting blast was a bit more than Tamotsu had expected, causing splinters to fly in all directions and a blast of air that felt like it was from a strong windstorm.

"Target destroyed," Kanonji said proudly.

"I see," Tamotsu said, thinking deeply. "It seems you have enough power to perform some rudimentary Kido spells, but don't know how to perform them correctly. My thought is that you focus all of your energy into creating that small sphere rather than releasing it outright. Try this. Use one hand. Aim with your first two fingers. Don't charge the attack, release it immediately."

"Are you sure, boy? That wouldn't be too safe, I think."

To prove a point, Tamotsu aimed his fingers at another target and fired a stream of electric blue energy. The target exploded upon being struck, leaving a charred stump. Kanonji's jaw dropped. "You see, this is the point of this training area. You don't have to worry about destruction."

Kanonji stared at another target. He closed his eyes and concentrated. In the past, his Kanon-ball had always been charged and then directed toward the target. Allowing something like this would have been dangerous to spectators, so he had devised a way for the energy to be condensed and then explode all at once at the target. He knew it was slow, but how safe would something that moved much faster be? He opened his eyes and prepared himself. Now was not the time to doubt. This is what this training was meant for. If he could faster banish the bad spirits, the people would be safer.

Drawing his finger, he aimed at the target. He drew on his inner strength and energy began forming. Realizing he was gathering energy once again, he released it all at once. A spark of energy raced through the air and hit the target. But it seemed nothing happened.

Tamotsu approached and found a small, smoking indent in the center of the target. "The good news is you hit the target," he said. "Bad news is you lost a lot of power by performing it that way. Did you hold back?"

Kanonji sighed. He had held back. There were too many doubts in his mind. Too many questions on how to perform this technique. Too many things to consider.

"Look, Kanonji. I know what you're thinking. First thing we need to do is get you confident. You're in a training area. You can destroy rocks and targets to your heart's content. Nobody will get hurt down here. If any of us are injured, we can get healed quickly. You have the power, I know you do. Unleash that power. Then once you know you have the ability, we can fine tune it so you learn control. Now let loose. Give it everything you've got. Do not hold back."

Kanonji nodded. The boy was right. Now was not the time to play it safe. Now was the time to prove to himself he could do this. Gathering energy with all of his might, he aimed once again at the target. Excess energy gathered around the man's hand as he concentrated. A fierce jolt of electrical energy erupted and raced toward the target, which exploded on impact.

Tamotsu smiled. That was good. Though not controlled, it was indeed a modified form of Byakurai. It was not as powerful as his own attack, but it would suffice. Looking back, he found Kanonji on his knees breathing heavily.

"There is something you should know, boy," Kanonji said. "I do not have as much Spirit Energy as you or the others like you."

Tamotsu nodded. "That attack you performed is called Byakurai. It is numbered four out of one hundred in terms of power."

Kanonji's eyes grew wide. That was only number four out of one hundred? If the others were so powerful, he wasn't sure he wanted to use them. Much less be able to learn them. He had lost almost all his energy in one attack, and that was after one of his Kanon-ball attacks. It seemed that if he learned to control it, he would only be able to use it twice in a battle.

"That's enough for today, Kanonji. You've done well on your first day, but you need to rest now."

Kanonji nodded. This boy knew what he was talking about. He pushed the limits, but knew when to stop. And when he could perform this new attack and control its power as the boy had said, he would be able to better protect people and be a better hero. Heroes needed continued training to better themselves. This was his training. And when he regained his strength, he would train more and learn how to fully control this Byakurai attack.

CONFESSIONS

Naomi was lying down on her bed. She was exhausted. She couldn't sleep, being too afraid of these memories that plagued her. How could she face her fears? How could she face herself having known of the terrible things she had done in her past life?

A soft pink glow appeared next to her, glowing brighter and beginning to take form. When the glow faded, Naomi saw a turtle resembling a spurred tortoise. A dark flower design was in the center of each segment of its shell. The turtle turned its head and looked at her.

"Why do you trouble yourself so much?" the turtle asked. "Why do you take this burden upon yourself, Naomi?"

Naomi looked at the turtle. "Shirrudo no Kusabana," she whispered. The turtle nodded.

"That is correct. I am the spirit that dwells within your zanpakuto. I have stayed with you from your previous life. You and I are one. But why do you burden yourself with the past? If you do this, you are no different than Masao and Tamotsu. They, too, burden themselves with their past lives. Their deaths."

"I'm different," Naomi said, her voice barely reaching the ears of her zanpakuto spirit.

"No. You are no different. You desire help and understanding, yet refuse to accept it when it is right in front of you. You are a defender, but you cannot bear this burden alone. Tamotsu is a protector. There is a difference, you must see that."

"Scared. I'm scared."

"Of what, Naomi? Scared of your past like they are? Scared of rejection should you open up? Scared of what you once were? It does not matter what you once were. Only what you are. Your inner world is in turmoil, you cannot bear this burden on your own. When you are at peace, I will be at peace. This does not effect only you, but all those around you. You must go to the Protector. He is the one who will understand. You must trust me. You must trust in yourself. Share the burdens, and you will never be alone."

The turtle glowed again, then faded. Naomi closed her eyes. Shirrudo no Kusabana was right. She had to go out and tell Tamotsu what bothered her. If she could open up and ease her burden, then perhaps he could ease the burden upon himself.

Naomi stood up and walked out of her room. She could sense that Tamotsu's training with Kanonji had just ended. She only hoped that he was in a better mood than he had been in days past. She didn't want to make things worse, but there was only one way to find out. What's more, she had to confess on what she had done. What she once was.

Turning around a corner, Naomi saw Rangiku sitting in a room at the end of the hall. She approached nervously, not sure exactly how to begin the topic.

"Naomi, good morning," Rangiku said cheerily. "I was wondering when you'd get up. Would you like something to eat?"

Naomi shook her head. "Tamotsu," she said.

"Tamotsu? I don't know where he is right now. I think he went down to the training area, its hard for me to sense his reiatsu sometimes. I'm sure he'll turn up sooner or later."

A flash of light manifest in another room along with a brief burst of reiatsu. Naomi could sense it. It was Tamotsu. She immediately turned and walked into Tamotsu's room where he was placing the pill for Lucky back into the owl.

"Come now, Tamotsu," Lucky said once the pill took control of the stuffed animal. "I would appreciate it if you not keep doing this to me all the time."

"I'm sorry, Lucky," Tamotsu responded. "But there's things I can only do while a Shinigami. We finished sooner than I expected today." Turning to the open doorway, Tamotsu saw Naomi standing. She seemed more nervous than usual. "Can I help you, Naomi?"

Naomi stepped into the room just barely. "Need… to talk," she said.

"Okay, you can talk to me."

Naomi shook her head. "Alone."

Tamotsu looked at Lucky and set him on the ground. "Sorry, Lucky. But it looks like you have to sit this out."

"I know when I'm not wanted," Lucky said, almost defiantly. "I'll just go and be with my own kind. I'm sure the other mod souls wouldn't mind my company." Almost hopping from leg to leg, Lucky exited the room. He had gotten quite used to his owl form and was able to move quite well despite the nonexistent legs on the stuffed animal he occupied.

When Lucky had left, Naomi entered and shut the door to the room. She stood silently for a moment, gaining the courage to speak.

"Well?" Tamotsu asked. "What is it? What did you want to talk about?"

Naomi let out a quick sob and sat on the bed. It seemed as if she had been holding her emotion in for quite some time. Tamotsu didn't know what to expect, as the girl hadn't spoken much at all to anyone. And if she were coming to him rather than Rangiku, who she seemed to trust more than anyone, it must be important to her.

"Naomi, what is it?"

"I've done things," Naomi responded, tears still being held back. "Bad things. Terrible things."

Tamotsu approached slowly. It seemed this was a big deal to her. He said nothing, allowing Naomi to take her time. "What is it?" he finally asked.

Naomi's tears ran freely now. "I killed humans. I killed Shinigami. I think I enjoyed it."

Tamotsu was taken back by her comments. Could she really be capable of doing such a thing? It seemed as if she despised violence. Her zanpakuto was too small for combat, and her shield seemed to use only energy used against it. What did she mean?

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Tamotsu said after another moment of silence. "Were you an assassin? Mercenary? What?"

Naomi shook her head violently. "No. This was before. Before I was a Shinigami. My life before I was a Shinigami."

A life before her Shinigami days? Was this something she did before joining the Academy? Or did she remember a second previous life?

"I don't know if I've been cleansed of those sins," she continued. "Tamotsu. Before I was a Shinigami, I was a Hollow."

Tamotsu's eyes grew wide. She remembered being a Hollow? Was that even possible? Naomi broke down completely and threw her arms around Tamotsu, the tears flowing freely. He suddenly gained understanding that he wasn't the only one suffering. Afraid of his own past death, and yet here was someone who remembered something far worse.

"Naomi, a Shinigami's blade cleanses the sins of a Hollow. You know that."

"I wasn't slain by zanpakuto," she responded. "I was slain by Kido. Its not the same, is it? Do I still carry that burden with me? I've killed Shinigami and humans. I don't know how many. Am I still accountable for what I have done?"

Tamotsu didn't know what to say. It was true that zanpakuto cleansed the sins committed by souls who have become Hollows, but he didn't know about the other methods. A Quincy's arrow would destroy a Hollow completely, he knew. But what about Kido spells? What about physical means of slaying Hollows? A hundred new questions raced through his mind. And for the first time, he was more concerned for someone other than himself.

He didn't know what to do. No words came to mind. But he now shared the pain of someone else. For a long time, no words were spoken between the two. All he could do was hold her. And cry with her. For once, he shared his tears with someone else.

NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR

Yes, Naomi is a former Hollow and now Tamotsu faces something he never thought possible. For Kanonji, I wanted to have him be trained so that he's not completely incompetent, but not powerful either.

I have to apologize for the italics in the last couple of chapters covering the last paragraphs. Something in the coding, its not intentional.


	16. Return to Seireitei II

MOVING FORWARD

Tamotsu walked into the main assembly room to find Lucky and the Mod Souls gathered and talking among each other. Moving directly into their conversation, he picked up Lucky and pulled the pill out.

"Sorry about this Lucky," Tamotsu said as he tossed the pill into his mouth. A flash of light and Tamotsu was in Shinigami form with Lucky taking control of his body. "Something's come up and I need you to take care of my body for a while longer."

"Would you please make up your mind?" Lucky said. "First its in the owl. Then your body. Back to the owl, then not ten minutes later back into your body? Do you have any idea how frustrating this is?"

"I said something's come up. Now please behave. You can still have your conversation." Tamotsu didn't wait for a response as he exited the room in search of Urahara. He found the shop keeper a moment later sitting down with Rangiku.

"Ah, Tamotsu," Urahara said. "What can I do for ya?"

"I need to arrange a meeting with Mayuri Kurotsuchi."

Urahara's eyes narrowed. "Straight to the point, huh? Well, I'm assuming this has something to do with research. I was Captain of the Twelfth Division before he was. In fact, I founded the Research and Development Bureau. Perhaps I could be of assistance?"

"Perhaps. I need information on what happens to a Hollow once it has been destroyed."

Urahara and Rangiku were taken back by the comment. "Kiyoshi," Rangiku said. "That's some serious things all of a sudden. What brought this on?"

"I'm not sure whether or not to give you all the details now. It's a delicate situation." Tamotsu stood, arms folded and waiting for a reply.

Urahara stood and began to pace the room. "Well, to understand that you must understand what happens when a Hollow is formed. When a plus stays in the world of the Living for too long, it loses its heart."

"I know all that. It loses its heart which becomes a mask to hide its identity and is reduced to a primal state. What I want to know is what happens when one is destroyed."

"Well, a zanpakuto is designed to cleanse the Hollows and purifies them of the sins committed while in that state. When that happens the soul that became the Hollow is sent to Soul Society. A Quincy's arrow, on the other hand, destroys the Hollow completely and its being is destroyed."

"I know about those as well. What about other means? Kido and physical destruction. What happens to the original soul then? Is it sent to Soul Society? Is it destroyed? Does it carry on the sins it committed?"

Urahara was stunned. "I…" he stuttered. "I don't know. It never occurred to me to test something like that."

Rangiku stood up and looked at Tamotsu with equal surprise. "Kiyoshi. I think it would be best that you tell us what is going on. If we knew the reasons behind your questions, maybe we could help answer them better."

Naomi walked reluctantly into the room and practically hid behind Tamotsu. It was clear she wasn't able to form the words to speak, so the responsibility fell on him.

"Its about Naomi," he said. The words almost choked in his own throat as he found the courage to speak them. "She believes that her nightmares are memories of her death of a past life."

"Well, that's not so unusual now is it?" Urahara said. "As I recall both you and Masao have the same problem."

"Its not her death as a Shinigami that she dreams about. She says that in her past life, before she was a Shinigami, she was a Hollow."

Urahara and Rangiku's eyes nearly bulged. Could that be true? Was this girl at one time the very beasts that the Shinigami had sworn to slay?

"She believes that her life as a Hollow was ended when a Shinigami fired a Kido spell and ended her life there. And now she doesn't know if she is still accountable for the deeds performed while in that state."

"I see," Urahara said. "This certainly puts a new perspective on things. I think it would be safe to assume that now you are afraid that if Hollows are slain by anything other than a zanpakuto then the spirit may live on with its sins. Or if it were destroyed outright, on the other hand, we could very well be destroying those who would become future Shinigami as with what happened to Naomi. I'm afraid that this will have to have new research performed. There's nothing more I can tell you here."

"Very well then," Tamotsu said, closing his eyes as the decision was obvious. "We'll go to Soul Society."

"Hey wait a minute," Rangiku said. "If you're going there then I'm going too. We're partners in this. Besides. This will also affect the way I view Hollows as well."

"Did someone say we're going to Seireitei?" someone asked from around the corner of the hall. Everyone looked over to see the former Kaien Shiba standing in the doorway. "Sorry to drop by like this, but meeting up with Tamotsu made me curious to know how everyone was doing since my untimely demise. Mind if I come along?"

"Sir Kaien," Rangiku said. "I don't see why not. We'll have to use Kisuke's senkaimon. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, of course not," Urahara said. "Everyone, please follow me downstairs. Oh, and Rangiku. One more thing." Lifting his cane, Urahara revealed the image of a flaming skull at the base. He thrust it into Rangiku's forehead which caused a flash of light as she was separated from her Gigai. Without a spirit to control it, the artificial body slumped to the floor with a blank expression on its face.

"Careful with that, Kisuke," Rangiku said, pointing to her Gigai. "I've got calendar signing at the mall in two days. I can't be showing up in a Gigai that's got scrapes all over it."

"Oh, not to worry," Urahara said, waving his hand dismissively. "That's one of the new modifications I made. Your Gigai is virtually scratch proof now. Nothing to worry about. Tessa, could you please place Rangiku's Gigai in the hall closet with the others?"

Tessa seemed to appear from nowhere, causing Tamotsu to jump when he spoke. "Of course, Shopkeeper," Tessa said.

"I hate it when he does that," Tamotsu said.

Five minutes later, everyone was in the underground training area. Urahara stood on one side of a wooden pillar, Tessa on the opposite side. They both began reciting a spell and the area between the pillars began to glow and expand. A moment later, the Senkaimon was open.

"Wait just a minute!" a voice cried out. Everyone turned to see Don Kanonji pointing his finger accusingly at the group. "You all can't just up and leave without me! What about my training you promised me, boy?"

Tamotsu grimaced at being called "boy" by the man. Holding back what he was thinking, he instead said, "Mr. Kanonji. There are items I must attend to on my assignment. Please, continue with the training we began on your own, and I shall check your progress when I return. I shouldn't be gone more than two days."

"Two days? Two days? What about all the bad spirits out there? What about all the kiddies in danger? Am I supposed to just sit around and do nothing?" Kanonji suddenly found himself being flung backward by an invisible force and landed face-down in the dirt. Rangiku turned to see Tamotsu with his hand raised. He had used the Kido technique Sho to push Kanonji back.

"Kiyoshi!" Rangiku said, placing her hands on her hips.

"He deserved it," Tamotsu said defensively as he pointed to the fallen man.

"Now, now," Kaien said. "We all have more important matters to attend to."

"He's right," Urahara said. "Come on now. Everyone who's going go on ahead."

The group nodded. Rangiku and Tamotsu went in first, followed by Naomi and the still-human Kaien. As Kaien walked into the near blinding light, he could only think of the reaction he would get upon arrival in Soul Society.

RETURN TO SEIREITEI

The group of Shinigami and Reincarnates followed the light at the end of the tunnel, signifying they were almost at their destination. At the threshold, surrounded by light, they entered Seireitei in the air above the Senkaimon gate. Rangiku and Naomi exited first, quickly adjusting to there not being any ground. Kaien stopped quickly enough to remain inside the gate that opened, but Tamotsu found himself once again falling toward the ground.

"Kiyoshi!" Rangiku cried. Using Shunpo, she jumped down and caught Tamotsu before he hit the ground. "I'm sorry, I forgot you still couldn't stand in the air."

Jumping back up, Rangiku took hold of Kaien and brought him down. Naomi simply glided through the air and landed softly. Two Kido Corps guards ran to the newcomers, but stopped once they noticed the Lieutenant of the Tenth Division and the Third Seat, Tamotsu Toshiyuki.

"Welcome back to Seireitei," the two guards said in unison as they bowed.

"Thank you," Rangiku responded as she returned the bow. "You may return to your posts. These two newcomers are authorized to be here by myself and Third Seat Toshiyuki."

Offering another quick bow of acknowledgement, the two guards returned to their stations next to the gate. Kaien looked around and smiled. It felt good for him to return, even if it was only for a short visit.

"I don't know about all of you," Tamotsu said. "But I've got some serious business to take care of."

"Oh, don't worry about us," Rangiku said. "Captain Hitsugaya will probably want a report. As will the Head Captain. We are still on the mission, might as well get this update over with." Having said that, Rangiku used Shunpo to jump away toward the Tenth Division barracks.

"What about you two?" Tamotsu asked, directing the question toward Kaien and Naomi.

"I wanted to check up on a couple of things since my absence," Kaien said. "And I'm sure Naomi would like to see her old Captain again." Hearing that, Naomi nodded. That was what she wanted, but she was nervous. "Would you like me to go with you, Naomi?"

Naomi looked at Kaien and nodded. She took him by the hand and began to run toward the Eighth Division barracks. Tamotsu sighed as he gathered his nerves. Urahara had said that he could probably just walk right into the Twelfth Division barracks and speak with Captain Kurotsuchi. It wasn't really something he was looking forward to, but it was the only way for his questions to be answered.

Naomi slowed to a walk and then stopped as she looked at the gate for the Eighth Division. It had been sixteen years since she last saw them. She had liked Captain Kyoraku, but that didn't make things any easier. She let go of Kaien's hand and walked forward.

Nanao Ise was walking by as they approached. Noticing them, Nanao stopped and looked in the direction of the newcomers. "Can I help you?" she asked. Naomi turned away nervously and looked at Kaien, who urged her to go closer. Finally getting a good look at the young girl, Nanao closed her eyes and smiled. "I see."

Shunsui Kyoraku was lying on his back under a cherry tree, its pink petals slowly falling around him. Sensing a presence approach, he remained lying down as he spoke. "Is that you, my little Nanao?" he asked. "I thought you said you had work to do?"

"You have a visitor," Nanao responded. "Someone who hasn't seen you in quite some time."

Captain Kyoraku lifted himself to a sitting position and adjusted his large straw hat so he could see Nanao clearly. "A visitor, you say? My, my. I wasn't expecting anyone today. Who is it?" Moving to the side, Nanao revealed Naomi who smiled and then blushed at the sight of her former Captain. Kyoraku smiled. "Well what do you know?"

Kyoraku approached Naomi and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Naomi," she said, still turned away from the Captain's face. "Naomi Kanagawa."

"Naomi, huh? So that's the name you go by now? A very pretty name." Kyoraku was about to make another comment, but was stopped when Naomi suddenly grabbed her Captain in a full embrace. He could feel her crying. "Now, now. There's no need for you to cry."

Moving her head to the side so her voice wouldn't be muffled, Naomi simply said, "Happy." Pulling away, she wiped her tears and smiled. He was just as she remembered him. Tall and handsome, wearing a pink flower kimono over his haori. He always treated her well, and was doubtless saddened when she had left. But neither of them seemed to care about the past. She was well now, both of them understood that.

From the distance, Kaien watched the reunion. Naomi would be fine, and he should give them some time to catch up. Doubtless they had things to discuss, despite Naomi still not wanting to talk much. Besides. He had his own reunion to attend to.

Rukia Kuchiki walked along the side of the pond which was situated in the Thirteenth Division barracks. She looked as one of the large koi splashed and then disappeared into the water. The fish always seemed to calm Captain Ukitake, who spent most of his spare time in his room due to his health.

Knocking on her Captain's door, Ukitake answered and invited her inside. "You wanted to see me, Captain?" she asked.

"Yes, Rukia," Ukitake answered. "Please come inside for a moment." Sitting up in his bed, Ukitake brushed his long white hair out of his face and smiled. "Tell me, how do you like being a Lieutenant?"

The question had caught Rukia off guard. "Well, I guess I'm pleased to be able to better serve the Soul Society because of it. Why do you ask?"

"Basically I just wanted to know how you enjoyed being in my old position," a man said as he emerged from the corner of the room. As he entered the light, it was revealed to be the late Kaien Shiba. "Hey, Rukia. How's it been?"

Rukia's jaw dropped and she stuttered to try to find words she could speak. "Sir… Kaien…" she finally managed. "What are you doing here?"

The vein over Kaien's brow bulged. "What was that?" he asked, visibly angry about it. Grabbing her by the head, Kaien began to shake Rukia violently. "The last time I saw you I was dying in your arms and the only thing you can bring yourself to say is 'What are you doing here?' Show some emotion or something at least!"

Once the shaking had stopped, Rukia looked up to Kaien with tear-filled eyes and then embraced him fully. "Sir Kaien!" she spurted out. Holding him tightly, Rukia's tears flowed.

"Now that's more like it," Kaien said. Ukitake smiled at the reunion.

"It seems that Sir Kaien is now in the world of the living under the name of Hajime," Ukitake said. "Apparently, after he died here his spirit went on to the other world and he was reborn. I've already explained to him the circumstance when you faced Aaroniero in Las Noches."

"That's right, Captain. Such a sad occurrence, but you pulled through. I'm proud of you, Rukia. I always have been. Anyway, I regained my memories from Soul Society, but that's about it."

Rukia looked up and her smile faded. "Does that mean you don't have your Shinigami powers?"

"What's that frown for?" Kaien asked as he glared at his former student. "I came to visit you, for crying out loud."

"I'm sorry, Sir Kaien. This is just hard for me to take in right now."

"Sheesh. Toshiyuki got reincarnated, showing up here about a week ago, and it never occurred to you that I might have been reincarnated as well?"

"Um, well, no actually." Rukia looked outside toward the water as another koi splashed. "I'd always dreamed of what I would do if you came back to me. And now that you have, I just don't know."

"Just be happy, Rukia. I'll be here for a bit, Toshiyuki needed to do some things. I'll have to leave with him once that's taken care of." Rukia looked at Kaien with disappointment. "Don't worry. You can always come visit me in the world of the living. It's not like we're cut off completely. So just drop by some time. You shouldn't have any trouble finding me."

Rukia smiled. He was right, as he always was. There was no need for her to worry. And even though he was living as a human, she could still visit. "Thank you for coming, Sir Kaien," she said. "I really appreciate it. Just as long as you don't turn into a Hollow again."

Kaien laughed. "Thank you."

Tamotsu Toshiyuki's hand shook nervously as he approached the large door which led to Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi's lab. He was about to knock when a voice from inside called out.

"Well don't just stand there. Come in already." It was Captain Kurotsuchi's voice. No doubt he had sensed when Tamotsu approached.

Walking inside, Tamotsu's eyes adjusted to the darkness. He could see Captain Kurotsuchi, dressed elaborately as ever with a large hat and makeup covering his face. The effect only added to the uneasiness growing in Tamotsu's stomach as he approached. The man had always mad him nervous, even more so now that he had to ask advice.

This was the first time Tamotsu had been into the Twelfth Division so he was surprised to see a gigantic computer with a keyboard that looked like the keys to an organ. It added to the whole mad scientist preconception he had developed.

"Tamotsu Toshiyuki," Mayuri said. "Yes, I thought it was you. I admit that I find it odd that you would come here. Tell me. Have you decided to donate yourself to my cause? I've been quite interested to see how a reincarnated Shinigami compares to the rest of us."

"Actually, Captain Kurotsuchi," Tamotsu said, his voice almost trembling. "I need to know if you have some information. On Hollows."

"Hollow research?" Mayuri asked as he tapped one of his long fingernails on a key. "What type of Hollow research, if I may ask?"

"I need to know what happens when a Hollow is destroyed. Not by either zanpakuto or a Quincy's arrow. But by other means, such as Kido or blunt forces."

Mayuri tapped his finger repeatedly on the keyboard as he thought. "Hmm… It never occurred to me to research something of that sort before. What reason do you have for wanting to know this information? Bear in mind, it will take some degree of time and I would need specimens in order to perform several experiments."

"I need to know if slaying a Hollow by other means is the same as a zanpakuto. If the sins of the Hollow are cleansed and it is able to come to Soul Society."

Mayuri turned to his computer and began typing. "I'm sorry, but I have other work that needs my immediate attention. Tell me. Why should I care if the sins of a Hollow are cleansed if it were slain by these means? What could I possibly have to learn from it?"

Tamotsu bit his lip. He had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but it seemed he had no choice. "I have reason to believe that one of the reincarnated Shinigami I have discovered may have had a past life as a Hollow. She remembers this life as the one right before she became a Shinigami."

Mayuri stopped typing and turned to look at Tamotsu. A puzzled look was on his face, his eyes seemed wide. Then his eyes narrowed and a large grin spread across his face. "Interesting," he said.


	17. So Alike, So Different

MEETING

The Captains of the Gotei Thirteen Court Guard Squads stood in their assigned spaces. Though this meeting was not urgent, all available Captains were present.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi stepped forward and spoke. "It would seem to me that there are several interesting occurences happening," he was saying. "This recent development with the Reincarnate Tamotsu Toshiyuki, I believe, deserves the attention and cooperation of the other Captains."

Captain Commander Yamamoto let out a deep sigh. "Yes, it would appear that this instance of a Reincarnate remembering a past life as a Hollow would put new perspective on how we deal with them. Who is to say that any of us did not share the same fate at one point?"

"But can they be trusted?" Soi Fon asked.

"I believe they can be," said Sajin Komamura. "The Reincarnate in question may have her memories of a Hollow, but she has shown nothing to indicate aggression toward the Gotei Thirteen."

"I agree with Captain Komamura," replied Retsu Unohana. "Surely there is nothing to prove that the Hollow still exists inside the Reincarnate in a form other than memories. Despite our severe differences, Captain Kurotsuchi has my support on this."

"Are there any who oppose to this mission?" Yamamoto asked. None of the Captains responded.

"Excellent," Mayuri said. "The Reincarnate Tamotsu Toshiyuki has volunteered to head out a mission to capture the Hollows required."

Toshiro Hitsugaya stepped forward and spoke. "It is true that Toshiyuki is emotionally fragile at this point. As his Captain I do not think it wise for him to make this endeavor on his own. I am sure most of your squad members are busy, but I would ask for a volunteer to accompany Toshiyuki in the capture."

Byakuya stepped forward. "I nominate my Sixth Seat, Kai Socrius."

"Socrius?" Unohana asked. "But Socrius is still under my care. He needs to recover from his memory lapse."

"I believe that this mission will aide in his recovery. Socrius and Toshiyuki, despite their differences, have much in common. Namely, their memories of their previous lives."

"But they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Toshiyuki a human who remembers life as Shinigami, and Socrius as Shinigami who remembers life as a human."

"It is the best we have to offer, Captain Unohana," Byakuya said, his gaze fixed in a downward position. "I will accept full responsibility for anything that may transpire, but I have complete faith in the boy and firmly believe that this will benefit him. Toshiyuki is more than capable of protecting should something go wrong, and I believe Captain Hitsugaya will agree with me on that condition."

Agreeing with Byakuya, Toshiro Hitsugaya nodded.

"Then it is settled," Yamamoto said. "Captain Hitsugaya's Third Seat, Tamotsu Toshiyuki, shall be accompanied by Captain Kuchiki's Sixth Seat, Kai Socrius, in the obtaining of Hollows for Captain Kurotsuchi's experiments. But I state firmly that no one is to discuss current events with Tamotsu Toshiyuki, for it will interfere with his current mission. Dismissed!"

Kai Socrius stood at the west gate of Seireitei. He had been escorted by Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu from the infirmary in the Fourth Division barracks. She stood with him as he waited for his partner to appear.

"Are you feeling all right, Kai?" Isane asked.

"Yes, much better," Kai responded. "Thank you, Kotetsu Fukotaichou."

A few moments later, Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto exited from Shunpo with someone riding on her back. It was a man in his mid-twenties it seemed with brown hair and a whip wrapped around his left shoulder.

"Thank you, Rangiku," the man said.

"No problem, Kiyoshi," Rangiku responded. "You take care out there. Have fun, you two." Waving a goodbye, she exited the area using Shunpo.

Isane walked to the newcomer. "Kai Socrius, this is Tamotsu Toshiyuki," she said. "He will be accompanying you on the mission. Good luck to the both of you." After that, Isane also exited using Shunpo.

The newcomer approached Kai and extended his hand. "Pleasure to meet you," he said. "Tamotsu Toshiyuki."

Kai took the man's hand and shook it in greeting. "I'm sorry, I'm a bit confused. You were introduced to me as Tamotsu, yet Matsumoto Fukotaichou referred to you as Kiyoshi."

"Yeah, that's the name Rangiku refers to me by. Sentimental attachment."

"Are you always so informal?"

"With Rangiku? Sure. She's my sister."

"And what about riding around on her back?"

"That? Its just something we've grown accustomed to. I can't perform any Hoho techniques so she took to carrying me around when I needed to get somewhere fast. If I could ask you a question, why do you say Fukotaichou rather than Lieutenant?"

"That's my fetish. This is a highly Japanese society so I try to use the proper phrases. Since you stated you can't use Shunpo, might I suggest we start walking? I'm sure we can get to know each other plenty along the way."

"Oh, of course."

Kai and Tamotsu walked through several districts without saying anything. The silence was beginning to annoy Kai, who decided to break the silence. "So," he said. "That whip is your zanpakuto?"

"You mean Hinohebi? Yes," Tamotsu responded.

"Is it always in released form?"

"She stays in released form because she chooses to be."

"She?"

"Yeah. She told me once it was because it takes a while for her to wake up, but I'm thinking its just so she can always be hugging me. She can be a bit overprotective."

"What do you mean by that?" a woman asked. Kai turned around and was surprised to see a young woman walking behind them. Dressed in a brown tunic with red tabards bearing a black diamond pattern and fiery red hair, she seemed pretty but Kai didn't remember anyone walking behind them. In fact, he didn't even sense her presence until she spoke. Tamotsu, on the other hand, didn't even seem to blink.

"What I mean, Hinohebi, is that you're always holding on to me," Tamotsu said without looking back.

"Hinohebi?" Kai asked. "That's your zanpakuto spirit?"

"That's right, Kai."

"I'm sorry. Not to be rude or anything but I would prefer you not address me in the familiar context. Would you mind Sixth Seat Socrius?"

"Very well, Sixth Seat Socrius. I'm not as picky, but if you'd like you can refer to me as Third Seat Toshiyuki. But Tamotsu is just fine."

"Third seat? And you're unable to perform Hoho techniques? I must say I'm impressed."

"Third seat reinstated, actually. I got my position back when I became a Shinigami again."

Did he say reinstated? And when he became a Shinigami again? What did that mean? Did this guy perform crimes which he had his Shinigami rank stripped from him?

"I'm sorry," Kai said as he ran slightly ahead of Tamotsu. "I'm a bit confused here. What do you mean by when you became a Shinigami again?"

"It means he died and got brought back," Hinohebi said.

"Hinohebi…" Tamotsu said, a look of warning in his eye. "You know I don't like to talk about that."

"Come on, Tamotsu. It's a fact. Get used to it already."

"Wait a minute," Kai said. "You mean to tell me that you remember your past life? I remember my past life as well. Oh, now I know why Kuchiki Taichou wanted you to come with me. We're the same."

"Well, not exactly," Tamotsu said. "Socrius, I died in Soul Society twenty-six years ago. I was reborn as a human and regained my memories and abilities last week. This isn't something I really like talking about."

"Come on. Talking about it is the best way to get it out of your system. Give it a try."

Tamotsu continued as he closed his eyes and clenched his right hand into a fist. "This just doesn't get any easier for me. Is this really something you want to know?"

Kai nodded. He didn't like talking about his human life much either, but at least this way he could have someone that could vaguely relate.

"Very well." With that, Tamotsu once again explained his past. Finishing the story, he made sure Kai had no other questions before briskly walking off.

"He really doesn't like talking about it," Hinohebi said. "But you're right. He has to get past it."

Hinohebi ran up to Tamotsu and placed her arms around him. Tamotsu turned and held Hinohebi in an embrace, his face clearly emotional. Kai almost felt bad. He didn't realize how traumatizing the man's death had been. And that crater by the Northern Mountains. Was that really from his reiatsu explosion? It just didn't seem possible. And it made Kai wonder just how much power this guy had.

The rest of the day was spent walking in silence. Kai wanted to make conversation, but Byakuya had warned him against saying anything about the current condition in Seireitei. The King of the Hollows had declared war, and here they were being sent out to capture Hollows for Mayuri's experimentations. It seemed odd, but Kai knew better than to argue. Especially since it was apparently Tamotsu who had come up with the idea.

"We'll stop here for the night," Tamotsu said. "Hinohebi. Can you get a fire started for us?"

Hinohebi held out her hand, which burst into flame. "Where do you want it?" she asked. Kai almost laughed. Those two certainly had an interesting relationship.

Five minutes later there was a fire pit built and the trio were eating rations. There wasn't much talking during the meal until Tamotsu pulled out a box with the Twelfth Division's symbol on it.

"These are what we'll use to send the Hollows to Captain Kurotsuchi," Tamotsu said. Opening the box revealed ten small electronic devices with red lights on them. "Apparently, they're micro-sized teleportation units equipped with specified Kido spells performed by Captain Kurotsuchi himself. Once the device touches a Hollow, it teleports it to a specified enclosure in the Twelfth Division barracks. They only work on Hollows, so there's no risk of sending anything else."

"Captain Kurotsuchi," Kai said. "That man always gives me the creeps. He actually wanted to have me come in and get experimented on."

"Heh. You too? Anyway, we should probably get some sleep. Our zanpakuto will alert us if we get into any danger."

Leaning against a log, Tamotsu was asleep within minutes. It took Kai a bit longer. He was nervous about sleeping in the open. Especially since Hollows were now coming in more numbers with the impending war. He had been warned not to tell Tamotsu anything about current affairs in Soul Society. Did Tamotsu have that much faith in his zanpakuto that he would let his guard down so willingly? It seemed odd. Then again, a lot of what Tamotsu seemed to do was odd.

Putting his trust in the man's words, Kai eventually drifted off to his own sleep.

Kai didn't know how long he had slept, but he was awakened by Tamotsu's muttering. Looking over he could tell Tamotsu was dreaming. And it wasn't a good dream by the look of it. What was more, he seemed to be expelling a large amount of reiatsu.

Moving over to his mission partner, Kai tried to wake Tamotsu. "Hey, Tamotsu," he said. "You're giving off a lot of reiatsu. Can you hear me? You've got to lower your reiatsu."

Still asleep, Tamotsu uttered a response. "No. No, Rangiku. You've got to get out of here. I- I can't control it."

"I'm not Rangiku. Its Socrius. Kai Socrius. You're expelling too much reiatsu. Get it under control!" Although Kai didn't know for sure, it seemed that Tamotsu was remembering a time when he lost control of his reiatsu. Kai had lived with his own memories since he came to Soul Society, despite his recent relapse when he believed himself to still be alive. But this was something else. Was this why Tamotsu had such a hard time talking about his past?

"Rangiku!" Tamotsu cried out as he sat up, still asleep. "Get out of here! Go!" Tamotsu screamed as a pillar of blue light erupted from him. Kai instantly dropped to his hands and knees. The reiatsu emission was so thick and powerful he could barely breathe. It felt like he was under a crushing weight of water, but there was nothing he could do. The burst lasted only a second, but it felt like Kai to be several minutes. When the pressure was gone, he breathed in ragged gasps. Never before had he felt anything so powerful.

Tamotsu stirred and woke up. "Hey, Kai," he said. "Are you okay?"

Kai rose up onto his knees shakily and looked at Tamotsu. "You let out a burst of reiatsu," he said.

"Oh. Sorry about that. Bad dream." Tamotsu sat back against the log again and closed his eyes as if this were normal for him.

Kai went back to where he had been sleeping and sat down.

"Hey, Socrius. You're right, you know," Tamotsu said, still lying down but looking in Kai's direction. "About me having to face my past. Both you and Hinohebi. There's nothing that can be done about what happened, but I've just been to afraid to face it. I guess that time has come."

Kai smiled weakly despite the fact that Tamotsu's eyes remained closed. "Glad I could help."

For the next half hour, Kai turned restlessly. He couldn't wrap his mind around that sudden burst of energy, a level that would be on par with a Captain's level of reiatsu. He made a mental note not to do anything else that could upset Tamotsu in such a manner.

Kai's mind was too riled up for sleep. Taking a deep breath, he crossed his legs and drew his zanpakuto. Placing it on his knees, Kai began to meditate. "Shionari…" he said.

A moment later Kai found himself inside his inner world. He was standing on a stone island surrounded by water, stalagmites lined the edge except for a small patch on one side with a pedestal on the North end. A blue wyvern appeared before him, seemingly to be made of water.

_Kai…_ the wyvern said. _The waves were troubled. Why are you troubled?_

"Shionari," Kai said. "I'm sorry, but I need to calm my mind. The Shinigami I am with, Tamotsu. He worries me. I know I should trust him, but he seems to have more power than he is able to control."

_As did you at one time, if I recall._ Shionari approached Kai and looked into his eyes. _You should not judge one's power by a sudden outburst drawn out by emotions._

_Consider yourself lucky, Kai Socrius,_ a female voice said. _That was but a small outburst._

Kai turned to see a large red snake resting on the pedestal of his island. Its body simmered with heat as it adjusted its body to rest on the rock.

"Who are you?" Kai asked. "What are you doing in my inner world?"

The serpent raised its head and looked Kai in the eyes. _I hope you will forgive me for coming here, but your thoughts and concern for my master resonated with my own. As such, I was able to enter your world for a short time._

Kai looked at the snake, noticing for the first time the black diamond pattern along its back. "You," he said. "You're Hinohebi. Tamotsu's zanpakuto." The snake nodded. "But, I saw you before. You were in a human form."

_That human form is one I chose for my master's convenience. He was alone when I first revealed myself. As such, I chose a form where he would be comfortable. This is my true form._

"Okay, I can understand that. About his power. You said that was just a small outburst?"

_Tamotsu has great power, even more than he is currently aware. Due to the seal placed upon him in his past life, he never had to learn to control such power. His body is able to manage it now. I worry for him all the time. I chose to be his protector in that life, and I refused to leave him when that life ended._

Shionari floated through the air and looked at Kai from the same side as Hinohebi. _You need not worry, Kai,_ Shionari said. _As zanpakuto, it is our duty to protect our masters. No harm will come to you this night, I assure you._

Kai relaxed. It seemed odd to have a third presence in his inner world, but he trusted the two spirits. "Thank you. Both of you. Shionari, I put my trust in you."

_And mine is in you, my master,_ Shionari said. Kai nodded, then closed his eyes. His body seemed to dissolve as he left his inner world, leaving the two zanpakuto alone.

_You chose your master well, Shionari,_ Hinohebi said.

_As did you, Hinohebi,_ Shionari responded. _It is good to see you again, my friend. But tell me. Why did you choose to stay with Tamotsu Toshiyuki after he left the life as a Shinigami? For twenty-six years you were alone with no guarantee that his powers would return, or you with them. Surely you could have found another to accompany._

Hinohebi adjusted her snake body to come to eye level with the watery wyvern. _Tamotsu is special to me. Surely you feel the same about Kai Socrius?_

Shionari lowered her head. _I do. But I sometimes wonder. Not so much that he is worthy of me, but am I worthy to be wielded by him? My power seemed to be too much for the boy to handle._

_I, too, had an experience like that with my master. I believed that my power was too great for him and so I withdrew. I assume you did the same? But since you are here now means that your master fought to keep you with him. Like our masters, you and I are alike._

Shionari and Hinohebi looked across the vast expanse of water. _The waves are calm,_ Shionari said. _My master is at peace._

_It was good to see you again, Shionari,_ Hinohebi said as she looked at the water. _And I am glad you found a master such as Kai. He is young and inexperienced, but I sense great potential in him. It is time for me to be with my own master now._

Shionari nodded, allowing her friend to leave. After Hinohebi faded from Kai's inner world, Shionari looked at the waves. She had seen many inner worlds, each one unique to its owner. It was so rare to find a Shinigami who matched the type of any particular zanpakuto. Rarer still for that wielder to speak their name. Would she stay with Kai Socrius should anything happen? Would she, like Hinohebi, remain in the master's inner world regardless of consequence? Risk eternal silence in order to remain with one who once spoke his name?

Hinohebi was right. Kai was still inexperienced and had to learn how to control his power. But there was still endless potential.

THE MISSION

When Kai awoke Tamotsu was already sitting up. The sun still had yet to rise and the air had a bit of a chill but overall it seemed nice.

"I didn't want to wake you," Tamotsu said. "You know, given the almost suffocating you by my reiatsu incident last night. I figured you could use some rest."

"Thank you," Kai responded. "I appreciate it. So, how are we supposed to find the Hollows?"

"They'll come here. I already took care of two already."

"What?" Kai sat bolt upright. "There were Hollows that came and you didn't alert me?"

"These things work really well," Tamotsu said as he looked at one of the devices Mayuri had given him. "A bit of a green flash of light and follow the beam off to the distance."

Kai stood up and stretched. He had hoped Tamotsu would alert him at the first sign of Hollows so they could work together. That was supposed to be their mission.

"Here, take these five," Tamotsu said as he handed Kai five of the devices. "Just throw them at the Hollow if you don't want to get too close. One of the ones I got tried knocking it away and that counted as contact so it was transported."

Kai looked closely at the devices in the rising sunlight. They just seemed like a small box about the size of his thumbnail with a red light on one side. These were meant to transport Hollows? He couldn't dwell long on the thought as a howl was heard close by.

"You want to take this one?" Tamotsu asked. Kai looked through the trees and saw a Hollow approaching. Tamotsu stepped out of the way, allowing Kai a clear path to it. The Hollow stood about eight feet tall with short arms and large legs, the mask looking almost like a reptilian skull. A tail swished behind it, moving branches as it walked. Overall, it looked like a dinosaur.

Kai looked at the device. "So all I have to do is get the device to touch the Hollow?" he asked. Tamotsu nodded. Kai unsheathed his zanpakuto out of habit and the Hollow howled again. It lunged forward, Kai dodging it easily. He threw the device at the Hollow and it made contact and then bounced off. The Hollow looked at the device, the light on it had turned green. Looking toward Kai, the Hollow howled again and lunged.

"You said it would transport the Hollow!" Kai said as he raised his zanpakuto into a defensive position. The Hollow took two steps and then froze. A green glow appeared around the Hollow which then spread over the entire beast. It shrank down into a glowing beam of energy and rushed into the device on the ground. After blinking three times, the device raised up into the air and rushed off in the direction toward Seireitei.

"And there you have it," Tamotsu said. "Three down, seven to go."

"You could have told me it took a minute to take effect," Kai said.

Tamotsu raised his hands innocently. More howls came from the wooded area. "Sounds like more are coming," he said. "I give it about half an hour and we can go home."

Kai readied himself to fight, but Tamotsu only stood and his zanpakuto-whip remained wrapped around his shoulder. Two Hollows leapt from the brushes. Kai raised his zanpakuto, but Tamotsu raised his hand and thrust it toward the Hollows. Both of them suddenly became immobilized by glowing yellow ropes. Tamotsu half-heartedly tossed two of the devices at the Hollows, which then glowed green and were sent back to Seireitei.

"Bakudo four?" Kai asked. Tamotsu nodded and then pointed at the other Hollows approaching. Kai was taken back for a moment at the speed of the approach, raising his zanpakuto before remembering the devices he was holding. He threw two of them, each one hitting a Hollow and transporting it.

"That's seven," Tamotsu commented.

"Well this is certainly easy," Kai said. "Why did we both need to come?"

Tamotsu looked into the distance, his face growing a bit concerned. "Can't you sense it? There's about a hundred Hollows coming in after the next few here. This was going to happen regardless of where we went, so unless you think you can take them all on yourself I suggest you keep your guard up."

A hundred Hollows were approaching? How could Tamotsu know the number? And how could he sense them all? Kai didn't have time to think as five more Hollows burst out of the foliage. Taking to his instinct, Kai slew three of them before throwing the devices at the last two. The throws were successful, but his attention was drawn out toward the approaching swarm.

"You ready for this?" Tamotsu asked. "Word got out that we were here and now every Hollow in the area is coming in for a piece of us. You got a Shikai?" Kai nodded nervously. "You're gonna need it."

The Hollows emerged and the two Shinigami threw the last of the devices. Tamotsu undid the whip, using the momentum of the unwrapping to build up for a powerful swing. It extended and cut through a line of Hollows, which dissolved after being struck. Kai swung his zanpakuto and cut down a couple Hollows, but more were coming.

"Rage, Shionari!" Kai cried. The blade on his zanpakuto melted into water which rushed at the oncoming Hollows. Kai poured some of his reiatsu into the hilt and swung sideways, the water following in suit. It struck several Hollows in the oncoming line and slew them, only to reveal more coming in.

Taking a chance to look toward Tamotsu, Kai was surprised to find the man swinging the whip wildly while spinning and firing of Kido spells at the same time. But no matter how off-track the swing was, the whip always managed to find a mark. Turning to Kai, Tamotsu lashed the whip out forward and the blade at the end whistled as it flew past Kai's ear and struck a Hollow in the head.

"You're getting distracted," Tamotsu said. "Stay focused."

Kai turned in time to duck as a Hollow swung its arm. Jumping into the air, Kai stood on a solid sheet of reishi he formed. The high ground would give him an advantage. He swung the hilt in the air, the water below rushing in the same direction.

Tamotsu continued to spin, and Kai chanced another look. From this vantage point, he could clearly see that Tamotsu was indeed only wildly spinning his whip. But the whip itself seemed to have a mind of its own.

He was getting distracted again. Pouring more energy into the hilt of Shionari, Kai swung the hilt hard and knocked out another row of Hollows. The numbers were thinning, and within moments the entire swarm was gone. Kai floated to the ground and rested. The water returned to the hilt and reformed the shining blade of his zanpakuto.

"Not bad," Tamotsu said. "Are you okay? You seem exhausted."

Kai looked up at the man. "I've used up more reiatsu than I'm used to," he said. "I need to get back. I wasn't expecting so much of a workout. I doubt Unohana Taichou would appreciate this."

Tamotsu began walking, but stopped as a strong reiatsu surged into the air. He turned around and looked into the sky. "It's not over yet," he said.

Kai looked up. He could feel the reiatsu building in his own body and couldn't sense the Hollows approaching, but he could see them. There were hundreds of them approaching. Flying in from the sky directly toward the two Shinigami.

Grabbing the hilt of his zanpakuto, Kai readied himself to draw but was stopped by Tamotsu. "You're in no condition to fight that many Hollows," Tamotsu said. "Leave this to me."

"Leave it to you?" Kai asked. "You can't use Shunpo and you can't jump into the air or even stand in the air. How could you possibly be able to take them all on?"

Tamotsu said nothing but seemed to be concentrating. "Socrius, stay behind me. And cover your ears. Brace yourself." Kai did as he was told. He didn't know what the man was planning, but he seemed to have confidence. "Hinohebi, you know what to do."

Kai looked at the whip, which seemed to writhe with anticipation. The Hollows approached closer. Kai stood his ground, regardless of his instincts telling him the situation was beyond their control. He stared at Tamotsu, who seemed to be waiting. What was he going to do? He could take out a few Hollows at a time with that whip of his, but this is hundreds.

Tamotsu tensed. The Hollows were almost upon them. "Not yet," he said. The whip seemed to tense just as much as Tamotsu. When the Hollows came within twenty feet, Tamotsu threw the whip up and cracked it hard. An incredible surge of energy erupted from the whip, spreading out in a large shock wave. Trees shook and the energy spread outward. When the blast cleared, all of the Hollows were gone. "Now we can go."

The two began walking back to Seireitei, Kai a bit out of breath but able to keep a steady walking pace. "You did well Socrius," Tamotsu said. "Your skill with a sword is excellent. I mostly have to rely in Hinohebi to take care of the Hollows."

Kai smiled, but felt a burning inside of him. "Thank you, Toshiyuki," he said. "It comes naturally for me." A sharp pain appeared in Kai's side and he doubled over.

"Socrius! Are you okay?" Tamotsu knelt next to the younger Shinigami and placed his hands in front of Kai's face. "Your reiatsu is expanding."

"I feel like its going to explode again," Kai said. "This happened before, only a few days ago… I have to get to Unohana! I wanted to get out of the hospital but-" He couldn't finish the sentence. Kai could feel the power overflowing. He hurt all over. Looking at Tamotsu, he could see him muttering something under his breath. Suddenly, glowing blue ropes lashed out from Tamotsu's hands and wrapped around Kai.

"You're reiatsu is overloading," Tamotsu said. "You have to let it out now."

"I can't do that. It'll hurt me and you as well."

"Socrius, trust me! This is a spell designed just for this type of situation. It was used on me during my second outburst. You're trying to contain your power, but it has to escape. Let it all out now!"

Hesitantly, Kai released the power welling up inside of him. He expected to be surrounded in a bright pillar of light, but instead the ropes surrounding him grew brighter. Small beams of light seemed to travel through the ropes from him to Tamotsu. Kai understood. This spell was designed for the user to absorb the reiatsu from the target. It would be devastating if the wrong Shinigami used it, but it would also save lives for those who would normally have an incredible outburst.

Kai forced more reiatsu out and then calmed down. As soon as he started to slump, the ropes vanished. He expected to feel exhausted, but instead felt surprisingly stronger. "What happened?" Kai asked.

"Your reiatsu level is increasing," Tamotsu responded. "Your body is trying to contain more than it is capable, but your spiritual body is adjusting to accommodate for it. You're becoming stronger. You're probably stronger than I am."

"But I saw all those Kido techniques you performed. There's no way I could match your strength."

"Your skill with a sword is excellent, and you have an incredible Shikai. With all my Kido skills, I still can't perform any Hoho techniques, which you seem to have mastered." Tamotsu smiled, then chuckled. "You and I are as alike as we are different. We both have great reiatsu levels. Both have our memories of our past lives, only reversed. One a zanpakuto of fire, one of water. You ever take down a Gillian single-handedly?"

"Yeah, I did actually. When I was still in the Academy."

"Got one on my first day outside of the Academy. I used Kido, of course. Come on."

The two began walking to Seireitei again. Kai felt rejuvenated, even stronger after that technique Tamotsu had used. "Hey, Tamotsu," Kai said.

"So you're going with the familiar term now are you?" Tamotsu said, almost jokingly.

Kai smiled. "That technique you used. The one that absorbs reiatsu. It is similar to my Shionari's ability. What is its name?"

Tamotsu's smile faded. "It would be wise for you not to mention this to anyone. It is not forbidden, but can be very dangerous. Rangiku taught it to me, and so far as I know only Captain Unohana and Isane know it. If you feel you must discuss this with someone, do it with Unohana and her only. No one else is to know. Do you understand?"

Kai nodded. He would have to check back with the infirmary anyway, but felt like he could go on a mission right away. "So you believe that no matter where we went we would have encountered Hollows like that?"

"Possibly. The Captains gave this location specifically and told me not to deviate. I wonder what's going on sometimes. So you feeling up for running Socrius?"

"Call me Kai." The two smiled and began to run. It would take some time to get back to Seireitei, but they would do so together. Tamotsu was right. They were alike, but still so different. Different strengths, but the same goals. Maybe next time he went to the world of the living, Kai would have to plan a visit to his new friend.

**NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR**

**I didn't create the character of Kai Socrius, he belongs to author 1caiser from his story "Bleach: Waves and Rapids" and was used with permission for this chapter. I hope I did him justice, as I noted the striking similarities between the two. This chapter takes place between W&R chapters 12 and 13 and would invite my readers to read his story as well.**

**If Kai seemed a bit weaker here, I would remind you that he was hospitalized recently but with the level of reiatsu increasing, he came out stronger than before. I hope the creator of Kai Socrius approves of the story and look forward to his chapters**


	18. Redemption of Sins Past

REDEMPTION

Naomi Kanagawa was dreaming again. She saw the female Shinigami in the hand of her Hollow form, the red Cero building in her free hand. Struggling, the Shinigami raised her hand.

"Hado Four, Byakurai!" the Shinigami called. A brilliant flash of blue light erupted from her finger and Naomi was blinded for a moment. It hurt, but only for a moment. As Naomi's Hollow form dissolved, she could feel as if a great burden had been lifted.

The light faded slowly and Naomi could see the trees above her, the sunlight coming through the leaves in golden streams. She struggled to stand. She couldn't remember anything at the time. Who she was or how she got into the forest. Looking down at her arms, she could see herself dressed in a simple brown tunic.

"Well, hello there," a man's voice said. Naomi turned around to see a man standing before her. He was tall, wearing a large straw hat and a pink kimono with flower patterns. "What are you doing out here all by yourself?"

"Captain Kyoraku," someone called out. "We need to get back to Seireitei and tend to the wounded."

"Yes, yes," the man said.

_Kyoraku,_ Naomi thought. He seemed to be important, the others who emerged that wore black kimonos appeared to treat him with respect.

"Perhaps we should tend to this youngster while we're here," Kyoraku said. "Tell me, what is your name?"

Naomi was about to speak. What was her name? She looked away as if ashamed.

"No name? Well, we certainly can't have that." Kyoraku looked up to the tree Naomi was under. "Do you see these flowers?" Naomi looked up to see several pink flowers in the tree. They were bright and full of life. "These flowers are called Camellias. They are very special. Even when the flower falls from the tree, the petals remain attached."

Kyoraku reached up and plucked a Camillia, to which he gave to Naomi. "You are special, I can tell," he said as Naomi took the flower. "You have a great power within you. Perhaps some day you can come to Seireitei and become a Shinigami."

"Captain, need I remind you that five Shinigami were killed?" a female squad member asked. "I almost died as well from the hands of that evil monster and you're talking to a child as if nothing happened?"

Kyoraku tilted his hat and his smile faded slightly. "It is regrettable what happened," he said. "But you cannot view Hollows with hatred. They are merely spirits who have lost their hearts. They cannot be blamed for their actions. As for those who have died in the service of Seireitei, their souls have moved on to an existence in the world of the Living. Don't tell me you've forgotten the basic fundamentals of your duties. As for the Hollow we just defeated, who is to say that it would not one day become a Shinigami as well?"

The woman lowered her gaze. "You're right, Captain," she said. "I should not have spoken out against you like that."

Kyoraku looked at Naomi and smiled. "Seireitei is fifty miles to the South-West," he said as he pointed. With a blur, Kyoraku and the other Shinigami vanished and Naomi was by herself. She looked at the flower and held it close.

Naomi awoke to find herself in Captain Kyoraku's office. She stretched and looked to find Kyoraku sitting behind his desk looking at some papers. Nervously, she approached.

"Ah, Naomi," Kyoraku said. "Good to see you're awake."

"Captain Kyoraku," Naomi said. "May I ask you something?"

"My, my. This must be important. You're usually not the one for words. But you should know you can come to me with any question. I won't get angry."

Naomi looked away and closed her eyes. "I dreamed. The first time we met. Back then, did you know? Did you know what I was?"

Kyoraku touched Naomi's face and she looked at him. "I was not present when that Hollow was slain, but I could sense when it was. A moment later, I could feel the reishi forming again. I doubt any of the other squad members could feel it. I watched as you materialized. Yes, Naomi. I always knew what you were. But that doesn't matter. The fact that you are here means that you are not responsible for the Shinigami you killed that day."

Naomi smiled. "Thank you," she said.

RESEARCH

Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi tested the containment area with the Hollows which Tamotsu Toshiyuki and Kai Socrius captured for his research project. The cells, made exactly to his specifications, completely contained the reishi and did not allow any to escape or enter. This meant he could accurately analyze the output and test what happens exactly to a Hollow when it is attacked by various methods.

"We are ready to begin, Mayuri," Nemu said as she stepped away from a large console of flashing lights.

"Very good, Nemu," Mayuri said. The first Hollow stared at Mayuri through the glass of the viewing area. It lashed out, but was stopped by one of the many barriers Mayuri had placed in preparation for their arrival. "Tsubokura. We may begin."

A young Shinigami with his hair lifted up in front nodded and entered a small chamber. Although Tsubokura Rin was one of the lesser of the researchers, he was one of the only Shinigami which Mayuri could spare that was not involved with other research projects. Somewhat clumsy and usually nervous, Mayuri would have like to have someone else but Tsubokura would suffice for this particular experiment.

"All the sensors are working as they should, Mayuri," Nemu said. "We may begin whenever you are ready."

"Excellent. Tsubokura. Slay the Hollow using your zanpakuto."

"Yes, Captain," Tsubokura said. He unsheathed his zanpakuto, a small blade in comparison to most but capable in the hands of its master. The Hollow lunged at Tsubokura, who easily swung and cut clear through the Hollow's neck. After a quick moment, the Hollow dissolved.

Nemu and Mayuri looked at the sensors as they spiked, indicating the immense release of reishi from the Hollow. The sensors fluctuated, then stabilized as a glowing white ball appeared in one corner of the testing cell. Reishi condensed and took form, then the light faded to reveal a young boy wearing a simple brown tunic.

Looking up, the boy cried out in surprise. "Where am I?" he asked. "Where's my mother? Who are you?"

"It's all right," Tsubokura said. "You are in Soul Society. Captain, are we done with this one?"

Mayuri looked at the readings which were being printed out. "Not quite yet," he said. "We still need to perform a few more tests."

Tsubokura approached the boy as he sheathed his zanpakuto. "It's all right," he said. "We just need to make sure you're okay, then we can look for your mother. Okay?"

The boy nodded nervously, then was escorted out of the room by Tsubokura. A moment later Tsubokura returned and looked at Mayuri who nodded, indicating that they were to proceed. A side panel opened and another Hollow entered the room. Smaller than the first, it looked menacingly at the young member of Twelfth Division.

"For this test, slay the Hollow using a Kido spell," Mayuri said. "It shouldn't matter which one." Pressing a button to reset the system, he nodded to indicate Tsubokura could begin.

Tsubokura raised his finger. Not too efficient with Kido, he did know a few basic spells. "Hado number four, Byakurai!" he said. A bolt of blue lightning erupted from his finger, striking the Hollow in the head. As before, the Hollow dissolved after a brief moment. Sensors and lights indicated the change in reishi composition in the testing cell, and the light of pure reishi appeared in a ball condensed onto the floor into a solid form.

It was a woman this time, middle-aged and was again dressed in a simple brown tunic. The woman slowly came into consciousness and looked at Tsubokura. "Well don't just stand there," the woman said. "Aren't you going to help me up?"

Tsubokura immediately ran to the woman's side and helped her to her feed. "Oh, I'm so sorry Miss," he said.

While Tsubokura helped the woman up, Mayuri stared at the screens of data as it was being processed. "Interesting," he said. "It would appear that the effects of Kido are identical to that of a Hollow being slain by a zanpakuto. It would appear that both techniques utilize reiatsu from the Shinigami, and therefore cleanse the Hollow and allow it to enter Soul Society as a Plus. This will have to be tested further. Tsubokura. Escort this Plus to the other containment area."

"What is that man talking about?" the woman asked.

"You just arrived here," Tsubokura said. "We just need to check to make sure you're okay."

"Very well then. So long as I can leave this place after."

Tsubokura escorted the woman outside of the testing cell and returned. Mayuri still looked over the information printed out by the computer, comparing the results.

"I will have to look into this more in-depth later," Mayuri said. "Bring in the next Hollow. Tsubokura, this time you will have to defeat the Hollow without using your zanpakuto or by means of Kido. Physical force only."

Tsubokura's eyes bulged. "Me?" he asked. "I can hardly to anything fully physical, how am I supposed to defeat a Hollow using force?"

"Don't complain, just do it. You are unable to understand these results and you are the only one who can be spared."

Tsubokura nodded nervously and sheathed his zanpakuto. The door opened and the third Hollow entered. It was larger than the other ones and much stronger. "Um, Captain…" he said. "I don't think I can slay this Hollow without using Kido or my zanpakuto."

"Nonsense," Mayuri said. "Have you learned nothing from researching Hollows with me? It doesn't matter how big or strong they are, there is always a weakness."

The Hollow swung at Tsubokura, who dodged and used Hado One to push the Hollow against the wall of the chamber. It roared as it hit the wall and looked at Tsubokura. The Hollow attacked again and Tsubokura dodged.

"My, my," Mayuri said as he watched from outside. "It would seem he's only capable of minute tasks anyway. Nemu, would you mind assisting him? I'm eager for the results."

Nemu nodded and entered the first of the doors. She entered the main chamber as the Hollow rushed past, which had begun to chase Tsubokura in circles. Completely calm and expressionless, she waited for Tsubokura to run past. Raising one arm, she struck the Hollow hard in the stomach causing it to double over. Striking it again with her other hand, it came down further. Finally, she kicked the hollow hard in the head smashing through the mask and through the other side.

The Hollow dissolved and Mayuri looked at the readouts. "Oh, now," he said. "Because of Nemu's interference, the results will be inconclusive for researching."

Tsubokura sighed and then sensed the reishi gathering behind him. "Well, it looks like slaying them with physical means works too," he said. Watching as the reishi gathered, his jaw dropped as it formed into the very Hollow that Nemu had defeated. Roaring in outrage, the Hollow began to chase Tsubokura around the containment area once again.

Mayuri smiled. "Interesting," he said. "If no reishi or reiatsu is involved in slaying the Hollow, it would appear that it rematerializes in exactly the same form."

"Captain!" Tsubokura cried out. "Captain! Lieutenant! Help me!" Drawing his zanpakuto, Tsubokura turned and stabbed straight outward. The blade of his sword struck the Hollow directly in the head. A second later, it dissolved. The reishi dissipated and then gathered into the form of young man. Tsubokura collapsed and sighed. "I'll take him to the other room."

"My, my," Mayuri said. "It would appear that Tsubokura is only good for lesser tasks after all. No worries, the preliminary results are in. Nemu, send him on some errand somewhere. I have no further use for him for the time being."

"Yes, Mayuri," Nemu said.

Tsubokura exited the containment area and began to walk toward the door to the barracks, breathing hard as he recovered from his exertion. It was clear that Mayuri wouldn't ask for him to do anything like that again, but he couldn't help but think a bit of his pride had diminished due to the humiliating display.

"Captain Kurotsuchi," Tsubokura said.

"I said I had no further use for you here," Mayuri said in response. "Unless Seireitei as we know it is crumbling do not disturb me. Do you understand?"

Tsubokura nodded and left. Whenever Mayuri found something new or interesting to research, he always insisted on doing it alone and then posting his results for everyone else to see. But this was such an odd take for the Captain. Why the sudden interest on what happened to Hollows when they were slain? It didn't seem like something he would want to research.

There had been talk of a Shinigami that had died and then returned. Did that have anything to do with it? Or was there something else? It wasn't his place to ask the Captain's motives, so he would just wait and find out with the rest of the researchers.

Going back to his room, Tsubokura laid down on his back and looked at the ceiling. If there were indeed Shinigami coming back in the world of the Living with memories of their past lives, why would Captain Kurotsuchi be interested in the Hollows? Or did someone else want the research done? If these reincarnated Shinigami did exist, why wouldn't he be researching them instead?

Reincarnated Shinigami, he found himself thinking. It seemed reasonable. But what would that mean for the rest of Seireitei and Soul Society? Would all of them be happy to know of their past lives?

Masao Rin paced back and forth in Urahara's underground training area. It had been more than a day since Tamotsu had left for Soul Society without giving him any information. Masao kept thinking of ways to regain his Shinigami powers. He tried more exercises with the mod souls who were in the toy dolls, but that was to no avail.

Even that pathetic excuse Kanonji was having more success than Masao. Still only able to perform the Hado spell Byakurai twice in any given time, his control was gradually becoming better. The man was persistent, but what was the point? He was the star of a television show. All he had to gain was a sense of self worth and flaunt his exploits for a world that did not believe it was real.

It was real, and Kanonji was an embarrassment to what the Shinigami believed in. The man barely had any reiatsu worth mentioning, yet he was able to perform a spell. That was more than Masao could do, and he wanted more than anything to regain his Shinigami powers.

In a fit of fury, Masao subconsciously thought of Shakkaho as he punched at the air. To his surprise, a ball of red energy erupted from his hand and sped toward a large rock where it then exploded. He looked down at his hand. Giving the appropriate incantation, he thrust his hand forward again and released another ball of red energy.

Masao smiled. It seemed that he had indeed regained his powers. He was not able to separate from his body, but there were several means of accomplishing the feat.

_At last,_ Masao thought. _One step closer to my goal. One step closer to the one who abandoned and betrayed me. The one who murdered me._


	19. Second Goodbyes

QUESTION FOR A CAPTAIN

Tamotsu Toshiyuki stood at the entrance to the Second Division barracks. He had never placed foot inside, and was nervous about speaking with Captain Soi Fon. She was shorter than he was, but her skill and demeanor made her worthy of the Stealth Squad. But there were things he had on his mind that he could only discuss with her.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped through the large doors. There were not many Shinigami present, and those who were did not seem to bother him. He knew the layout and where the Captain's office was, but that did not make his approach any easier.

"Can I help you, Reincarnate?" a gruff voice said from behind Tamotsu. He turned to see Lieutenant Marechiyo Omaeda, a large man with a fluffy purple collar who was eating out of a bag of potato chips. Crumbs covered his mouth and the lower part of his uniform.

"Oh, Lieutenant Omaeda," Tamotsu said. "Actually, I'm looking for Captain Soi Fon. Have you seen her around?"

"Humph. Looking for the Captain, huh? And why can't I assist you? I'm directly under her."

"No, there's a couple of things I can only speak with her about."

"It's all right, Omaeda," Soi Fon said as she exited a Shunpo jump. "I have a moment to spare. Leave us."

"Yes, Captain!" Omaeda said. A second later, he jumped away using Shunpo. Tamotsu was surprised to see such a large stature man be able to use such a technique, but he had to focus on his purpose in being there.

"Tamotsu, what is so important that you could only speak to me about?"

Tamotsu was nervous, as this was a very specific thing. He wasn't even sure how Soi Fon would react, given her sharp temper. Giving a sigh, he decided to get straight to the point."Captain Soi Fon," Tamotsu said. "I've heard that you have a technique that combines Kido with Hakudo techniques. Is this true?"

Soi Fon closed her eyes. "It is true, but it is intended to be a secretive technique. It is called Shunko. But it takes several years to develop and is extremely difficult to master and control. I am sorry, but I cannot teach it to you."

"Please, Captain Soi Fon. It is important to me."

"Why? So you can cleanse Hollows easier? So you can guarantee they are cleansed? I read the report my Captain Kurotsuchi, and I know why you wish to learn it. But this is far too powerful for someone like you. And should you lose control of your reiatsu again due to Shunko, the results would be far more devastating than what happened the last time you lived here."

Tamotsu's heart sank. She certainly was straight forward, and she knew how to hit his nerves. He didn't like remembering the loss of reiatsu control, and she had compared that to using the Shunko technique. It was clear that he wouldn't get anything out of her that way.

"I am sorry to have asked, Captain Soi Fon," Tamotsu said.

"Its all right," Soi Fon said. "I am sorry to be so harsh, but that is the truth of the nature for this technique. It is far too dangerous to be taught generally. Was there anything else?"

Tamotsu hesitated. He wasn't sure how Soi Fon would react to his next question, but he had to ask. "Actually, there is one thing," he said. "It is about one of the Reincarnates I found."

Soi Fon looked directly into Tamotsu's eyes, her gaze seemed to burn into him. "What about this other Reincarnate?"

"He says he remembers being under your command. I heard an account of how he died. Apparently, it was against an Adjuchas class Hollow about forty years ago."

Soi Fon's eyes opened wide. This told Tamotsu that she remembered the incident, and it would not be a fond reunion should these two meet. "What was his name?" she asked.

"I don't know if he kept his name from his past life like I did, but he hasn't told me anything otherwise. His name now is Masao Rin."

Soi Fon's expression revealed that she recognized the name. "Yes. Yes, I remember him. He did keep his name. Be careful with him. I'm sure he doesn't understand the full circumstance surrounding his death. I cannot give you any details at this time, but know this. He served Soul Society well. He was once my Third Seat. Leave now, Tamotsu Toshiyuki. Its best if you not mention this conversation to him."

Tamotsu nodded. "I understand," he said. "Thank you, Captain Soi Fon."

Using Shunpo, Soi Fon exited and Tamotsu walked back to the Second Division entrance. He hadn't gotten the information he was hoping for, but his suspicions of Masao Rin had been confirmed. He had been a shady character and hadn't seemed like he wanted to regain his powers for the sake of protecting as he and Naomi had. Whatever the reason, it seemed the best course of action was to do nothing at this point in time. There were still too many unknowns, and perhaps he just needed time to cope with the memory of his death as Tamotsu had.

After exiting the Second Division barracks, Tamotsu looked back. It seemed there was nothing else he needed from Seireitei at this point in time. He would have to gather Naomi, Rangiku and Kaien so they could return to the World of the Living. The only problem was how to find them.

Taking a deep breath, Tamotsu relaxed and expanded his mind. He remembered hearing about how one could trace an individual's Spirit Ribbon, although he had never attempted it before. All at once, a million red ribbons entered his mind. He sorted through them quickly, discarding the ones he did not recognize. The number of ribbons narrowed down to the three he was looking for.

Rangiku was at the bar. He should have figured that much. It seemed Naomi had left Captain Kyoraku and was wandering into the Thirteenth Division barracks, where Kaien was. That made things simple enough. Making a quick decision, he began to walk toward the Thirteenth Division.

LIKE A SISTER

Naomi wandered into the Thirteenth Division barracks and looked around nervously. She had followed Kaien's reiatsu trail there. She felt a great compassion in the man, though she had never met him personally in her life as a Shinigami. She knew he was the former Lieutenant from the Thirteenth Division and was well skilled, but his Shinigami powers hadn't returned.

After wandering for a few moments from having lost the trail, Naomi picked it up again and followed it to Captain Ukitake's chambers. Kaien was there along with Rukia Kuchiki, who had recently been appointed the new Lieutenant. She hadn't heard the news, but recognized the badge worn on the left arm.

"Naomi," Kaien said with a smile. "I must say I'm surprised you managed to track me here."

Naomi blushed at the compliment but said nothing.

"I believe you two haven't met before. Naomi Kanagawa, meet Rukia Kuchiki." Still blushing, Naomi performed a quick curtsey. "She doesn't talk much, Rukia."

"Oh, I see," Rukia said.

"I'm guessing we're going to be leaving for the World of the Living soon. I'm gonna have to leave you again Rukia. I won't be coming back to Soul Society. Not until my life as a human ends."

"Sir Kaien! You can't do that, sure you can come back! You can come back as often as you want!"

Kaien grabbed Rukia by the head and started shaking her. "Come on, Rukia! Do I have to spell everything out for you directly?"

Kaien let go of Rukia, who fell down and landed on her backside. It seemed as if she were going to start crying again.

"Sheesh, I never said we'd never see each other again. You know where I work and you can stop by and see me whenever you want. Now do you understand?"

Smiling now, Rukia jumped up and wrapped her arms around her former mentor. "Thank you, Sir Kaien."

Kaien smiled. "Always overly emotional."

Naomi smiled at the fond exchange. She liked Rukia. Though Rukia didn't have too much strength from what was visible, it was clear that she, like Tamotsu, would do anything for her friends.

"Naomi," Kaien said. "Take this." Naomi fumbled as Kaien tossed a teddy bear over to her. "I forgot that Rukia likes bunnies, but it wasn't until after I bought this. Maybe you'd like it."

Naomi looked at the bunny then smiled. Taking a string that was holding her hair in place, she tied it around the neck of the teddy bear and wrapped the other end around her obi.

Rukia gulped and bugged her eyes as Naomi then took her zanpakuto and jabbed the sheath into a loose set of stitches in the back of the stuffed animal. Allowing the bear to drop down, she had made it into a covering for her zanpakuto. Grinning even larger now, she showed that she appreciated the gift.

Giving an uneasy smile in return, Kaien scratched the back of his head. "Well now," he said. "That's certainly a unique way of using it."

Rukia felt the color fade from her face. She fell to her knees and felt dizzy. That was a cute stuffed animal, even if it wasn't a bunny. Why would anyone do such a thing?

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Rukia looked up to see Naomi kneeling next to her. Before she could do anything, Rukia was pulled into a friendly embrace by the other Shinigami. "Well," Rukia said. "As long as you're happy with it I guess it doesn't matter. Just don't lose it, okay?"

Naomi nodded and ran to Kaien's side. "Take care, Rukia," Kaien said. "There's just one more thing I need to do before I leave again. Remember, you can come visit whenever you want."

"Yes, Sir Kaien." Naomi watched as her mentor walked away with the other Shinigami Reincarnate. Though the girl Naomi seemed to have a bit of a morbid streak, being plainly shown by the unique use of the teddy bear, she did seem to have a good heart. Rukia felt a warmth from the embrace, like from someone she had known a long time. "Thank you, Naomi."

Rukia watched as her former mentor left her, this time feeling gladness that she knew she could see him once again if she chose to. She felt glad, being able to spend time with him and not having it be a trick or some type of misgiving. At least this way, she would know where the true Sir Kaien was.

FAMILY

Kaien Shiba walked out of Seireitei, followed by Naomi. He didn't mind being followed closely by the girl. She seemed to have grown fond of him and of Rukia in a short time. He still had one more place he needed to visit, and knew he'd never hear the end of it if he left them out.

After about an hour of walking, they stopped after crossing a rise to see a small house with two giant stone hands holding up a banner. Kaien smiled.

"Heh. Sister's always got to make herself known," he said. He approached the overly-flamboyant architecture casually, as if he had done it a hundred times before. He had, of course, but that was before he had died.

As he approached the doorway, two large figures jumped out of what appeared to be nothing. They were tall and looked almost identical, except one wore a white shirt and the other wore gold. "Halt!" the gold man said.

"No one is to enter without permission," the white man said.

Instantly upon seeing the newcomer's face, both men instantly fell to their knees with tears streaming down their faces. "Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko," Kaien said. It is good to see you two again.

"Master Kaien!" Koganehiko said.

"We're sorry, we heard you had died years ago," Shiroganehiko said.

"Yeah, its kind of complicated," Kaien responded. "If you don't mind, I do not have too much time left to spend here."

"Of course, Sir!" both men said in unison.

Opening the doors to the house, both men bowed respectfully as Kaien entered and was followed by Naomi. Taking the stairwell down, they found a hallway and smelled something cooking.

"Smells like Ganju's trying to cook again," Kaien said. "He always has a uniqueness about his cooking."

The door suddenly burst open and Ganju stood in a manner that suggested he was about ready to hit someone. "Are you disrespecting my cooking?" he yelled. Upon seeing who the newcomer was, Ganju suddenly lost composure and grabbed Kaien in a large embrace. "Big brother! You came back to us!"

Struggling for breath, Kaien smiled and responded. "Yeah. Took me a while."

Placing Kaien down, Ganju recomposed himself. Still smiling, he asked, "But how is this possible? You died. This isn't a trick, is it?"

"Oh, no. I'm real all right. After I died here I was reincarnated in a human form. I regained my memories and found a few others like me."

"So you're a Shinigami again?"

"No, only my memories have returned. I'm just an ordinary person now." Kaien was so caught up with his reunion with Ganju that he missed the other presence approaching. Before he knew what was happening, he got punched hard on the top of his head, bringing him down to his knees. Turning around, he saw Kukaku breathing heavily.

"Idiot!" Kukaku said. "You're gone for this long and you didn't come back to see us first?"

Kaien smiled. "Good to see you too, Kukaku."

Kukaku smiled. "Well, at least you made it. Welcome home, brother."

Kaien stood, rubbing the spot where Kukaku hit him. "Actually, I won't be staying."

Smiles faded from his brother and sister. "But- but Kaien!" Ganju said. "Why not?"

"I have a life in the Human world. It was just by chance someone else was coming to Soul Society so I decided to come along and make amends. I figured news of this would get out."

"Well, brother, its great to know you're doing okay."

The Shiba family sat around the table and talked. Fond memories and recent adventures were shared, as well as the time Rukia finally came by and apologized. They had assisted the Shinigami on several occasions, and it made Kaien happy that no more ill feelings were held toward anyone.

It was nearly sunset by the time they exited the house. Tamotsu and Rangiku were running up from the rise over the hill.

"Hey, Kaien!" Tamotsu called out. "They're going to be opening up the Senkaimon soon to let us go back to the Human world."

Kaien waved and smiled. "I guess its time for me to go then," he told his family. "Feel free to come visit some time."

Ganju grabbed his brother in a fond embrace and Kukaku punched Kaien in the shoulder. "You take care of yourself," she said. "You may not be technically part of the Shiba clan anymore. I'm not sure exactly how this whole reincarnation thing works, but you'll always be our brother."

Kaien smiled. "Thank you, Kukaku. Ganju. Take care."

Kaien walked off with a final wave to his family. It was good to see them again, even if it was for a short while. But it was time got get back. As they entered the Senkaimon, Kaien couldn't help but think he was about to exit a dream. But he knew it was real. His life awaited him on the other side, and Soul Society waited for him once again after that.

A never ending cycle. That was what the Reincarnation meant. Live one life, then another. Back and forth between worlds, where dreams and memories await. He had been able to say his second goodbyes to those who were dear to him, an opportunity not given to many. He wasn't sure if he would remember everything when he once again entered Soul Society when his current life had ended, but for now he knew the truth and that was all that mattered.

The group of four exited the Senkaimon and were in the desert of Urahara's training area. It felt as if they had just left, but they couldn't be rid of the new memories they had.

Tamotsu looked at the sky-painted ceiling and took in a deep breath. The relaxing gesture almost caught him unaware as he sensed a close-range burst of aggressive reiatsu. With no time to block, he pulled back as Tatsuki's fist grazed the flesh on his cheek.

"Where have you been?" Tatsuki asked in almost a yell. "I told you about that tournament. And you know what? It starts in about an hour!"

The improvised tournament! Tamotsu had forgotten about it. Looks like they made it just in time. "Sorry, Tatsuki!" he said. "Been kind of busy with other duties."

Rangiku also became wide-eyed. "My calendar signings!" she said. "That's at the mall as well!"

Rushing upstairs, Tamotsu quickly entered his real body and placed the Lucky soul pill into the stuffed owl. Rangiku entered her own Gigai and within minutes, the group was rushing off to the mall.

An improvised tournament where anyone can enter. What kind of person would put on something like that? It certainly seemed odd, but at least it would ease some of the stress that had been building up. But who exactly would put on such an undertaking? What were they looking for? Things like this always had a purpose behind them, but what was it?

THE NEXT REINCARNATE

Takeo Saegusa sat in his black Karate Gi as he meditated on the upcoming tournament he had arranged. He heard a knock on the door and his manager entered.

"Master Saegusa, the tournament will begin in half an hour," the manager said. Takeo nodded. He never spoke. Nobody seemed to know why. But he was the region's best Martial Artist, so nobody complained.

Opening his eyes when the door closed, Takeo pulled off a cloth that had been covering a painting. He stared at the figure on the canvas, a large man with a ragged white haori with spiked hair. A long scar ran over the man's left eye, and the aggressive pose indicated he loved to fight.

_Kenpachi Zaraki_, Takeo thought. _I served you well as a Shinigami. And I shall serve you once again. I will find my way back, my Captain. And this tournament will help me to find someone who will help me get back to you._


	20. The Tournament Begins

ARRIVAL

Tamotsu walked with Tatsuki as they entered the mall where the tournament was to be held. There were three tournament rings set up in twelve-by-twelve foot squares. Several spectators had already lined up to get the best seats, and participants were lining up at a booth to sign in. Looking at the competition, if it could be called that, Tamotsu realized that many of the people signing up were weak and untrained. But, due to personal pride, they registered anyway.

"Tatsuki," a voice called out. Tamotsu turned to find a young woman the same age as Tatsuki with long orange hair approaching. "Oh, hi Tamotsu," she said when she approached. "Been a while since we actually spoke."

"Uh, hi," Tamotsu said. "And you are?"

Tamotsu didn't have time to sense the blow coming as he was struck on the back of the head. He turned to see that Hinohebi had manifest herself. "That's Inoue Orihime," Hinohebi said. "She's the one that took you out for shrimp on your birthday last year, remember?"

"Cut me some slack, Hinohebi," Tamotsu said. "My memories have been kind of messed up lately, suddenly getting memories of a past life and all."

Hinohebi smiled. "Well, anyway... Now that that's out of the way and since I'm already manifest…"

Tamotsu sighed as he pulled out the deflated portable Gigai and handed it to Hinohebi. With a bit of schoolgirl fetish, Hinohebi ran around a corner and returned a moment later in the Gigai. Dressed in a red shirt with a short black leather jacket and black pants, she grabbed Inoue by the arm and started pulling her away.

"Come on, Inoue," Hinohebi said. "Let's go have some fun while these two get into the finals!"

Inoue smiled. "Okay," she said. "Tatsuki, Tamotsu. Good luck both of you."

Tatsuki smiled smugly and spoke quietly. "I don't need luck with a group like this."

Tamotsu smiled. "They don't look like much but don't underestimate them."

"I just have to beat them all until I get to you. I've been wanting a rematch. I can't help but think you were holding back at our last little skirmish."

"I'd expect the same from you, Tatsuki."

After waiting in line for ten minutes, the two contenders registered their names. Tamotsu was the last one to sign. After being given a number, he was assigned a match number. The tournament was still half an hour away from starting, but everyone was getting psyched. Participants punched and kicked at the air, showing off their technique to the observers. A few fell flat on their faces, but rose to cheers and cried out as if they had done it on purpose.

While everyone else was busy preparing themselves, Tamotsu noticed that the registration paper was taken into a small office area. The name Takeo Saegusa was marked on the door. Why would the tournament manager want to look at the participants' names? Perhaps there was more to this tournament than what appears on the surface…

A drum roll sounded and a spotlight appeared in the center of the middle ring. A man dressed in a black Karate Gi stepped into the light holding a microphone.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the man said. "Welcome to the Karakura Town impromptu tournament! All of our contestants have been accounted for and we are now ready to begin. Now, may I present to you our host, Takeo Saegusa!"

The crowd cheered as a man about Tamotsu's age entered the ring. Tamotsu immediately felt something different about the man Takeo. His face was serious, not the face of someone looking for a good time, but of someone who was searching for something. A chill went down Tamotsu's spine. There had to be something else.

Takeo nodded to someone off stage, then two men appeared and held wooden boards. One was held at Takeo's chest level, the other above his head. With incredible speed, Takeo executed a round-house kick and broke through the first board, then spun around and jumped with a spinning crescent kick and broke through the second.

The crowd cheered in amazement. Tatsuki smiled smugly. "Ha, I could do that," she said.

Tamotsu's eyes narrowed. He didn't doubt that Tatsuki could perform that technique, but there was something different. It almost seemed, though be it small, as if the maneuver was aided by reiatsu. Also, to increase the power of techniques the user always made some sort of cry or yell. Tamotsu didn't hear anything from Takeo. There was something more to this tournament, and he knew it.

It was said that Takeo would be participating in the tournament as well. It wasn't just about surviving until he met with Tatsuki again. In order to confirm his suspicions, he had to work up the ranks and fight with Takeo himself.

"Now without any further delay," the announcer said, "let the tournament begin!" Everyone cheered except for Tamotsu. He was deep in thought. No matter what happened, he had to win this tournament.

THE FIRST ROUND

Inoue and Hinohebi walked along the upper level of the mall and admired all the sales that were going on. No doubt it was because of the tournament and the stores were hoping to get some extra business, and it seemed to be working. There were as many people in the stores as there were watching the spectacle below. One line in particular seemed to catch their attention. It seemed to be composed entirely of men.

Following the line to where it began, the girls were surprised to see Rangiku sitting behind a desk. Rushing up to her, they cut in front of a man. "Hey, watch it!" he said. "Wait in line like the rest of us!"

Rangiku looked up and smiled when she saw the newcomers. "Hello, Inoue! Hinohebi!" she said.

"Rangiku," Inoue said. "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't I tell you about my job?" Rangiku asked as she signed her name on a calendar. "I've been modeling and they just got everything printed out. This calendar is very popular. Where's Tamotsu? Isn't he with you?"

"No, he's in that tournament downstairs," Hinohebi said. "I don't think he'll be too happy when he finds out what you're doing."

"Oh, don't be silly," Rangiku said as she continued to sign calendars. "This is actually an assignment from Seireitei. Most of the money I make here goes to the funding for the Shinigami Women's Association."

"Well, if you're signing calendars, who's looking out for Hollows?" Inoue asked.

"Ichigo has that taken care of," Rangiku said with a smile. "We can trust him to take care of anything that comes up."

"Come on, Inoue," Hinohebi said. "I want to have some fun before Tamotsu finishes the tournament and makes me go back again."

Inoue smiled. "Okay," she said. "See you later, Rangiku!"

Rangiku smiled again and continued to sign calendars.

* * *

><p>Tamotsu stood in the ring for his first round. He had been given red sparring pads for the duration of the tournament. His opponent, obviously out of shape and overweight, was wearing black pads.<p>

"Come on, skinny boy," the man said from across the ring. "Let's see what you've got!"

The match judge made a gesture to signal the beginning of the match. The man yelled and came swinging at Tamotsu. The swings were wild and untamed. He dodged effortlessly and tapped the side of the man's head gear with his glove. The judge called for a point on Tamotsu's side and the two men went back to their positions.

Another gesture and the man charged again. Ducking under the swing and stepping behind, Tamotsu reached out rather slowly and tapped the man's head gear again. The judge once again called point and they returned to their respective sides.

In the rules they read, Tamotsu had found out about the rules for the point system. The matches went to five points. Punches to the head and body were one point, the face and back were off limits, as well as anything below the belt line. Kicks to the body were one point, two points if they were to the head. A jumping kick to the head was three points.

At two points already and this was clearly someone who didn't know what they were doing, Tamotsu decided to end the match quickly. With a gesture, the man once again came charging. Jumping up into the air and spinning for momentum, Tamotsu's foot grazed the top of the man's head gear. The judge called points and the match was over.

"What?" the man said. "Come on, he didn't even hit me on that last one."

"His foot made contact with the target and therefore was within legal bounds for the points," the judge said.

"Why you…" the man growled. "Hey, I'm not done with you yet!" The man threw his gear down and assumed a boxing stance with his fists clenched. "Come on, skinny boy! Let's see what you've got!"

"You lost the match," Tamotsu said. "Go down with honor."

"Oh, no. This was set up. You paid off the judge. Let's do this without the gear and see who's really better!"

Tamotsu turned to the judge to see his call on the matter. The judge turned to the side and covered his eyes, signifying that whatever happened he wouldn't see it. The man came swinging wildly, to which Tamotsu dodged. At one punch, Tamotsu grabbed the man's wrist and stepped under his arm and pulled. The momentum caused the man to flip over and land on his back. Tamotsu brought his foot up and thrust it down toward the man's face, stopping it when he was barely touching the man's nose.

"Now, do you wish me to continue that strike or do you admit defeat?" Tamotsu asked.

The man choked as he tried searching for words. It was obvious that he had been completely humiliated and nothing more would come of extending this confrontation. "I submit," he said.

Tamotsu helped the man up and shook his hand before he had time to object. The watching crowd cheered as Tamotsu left the ring and sat down. After the next set of matches, it was time for Tatsuki's first match in the tournament. Tamotsu walked over to her ring.

Tatsuki was given black sparring pads. Her opponent, a woman about thirty years in age, was wearing red. The judge gestured and Tatsuki immediately took the offensive. Her opponent dodged the first punch but was struck by the second in the chest. She fell to her knee and gasped, rubbing the site of the strike.

"Warning black," the judge said. "Unnecessary roughness. Point goes to red."

"What?" Tatsuki cried out.

"Watch your strength," the judge said. "Two more warnings and you will be disqualified."

"Save it for the later matches Tatsuki," Tamotsu said. Tatsuki nodded.

The judge gestured and the two opponents approached each other slowly. Tatsuki's opponent punched twice, to which Tatsuki blocked them both before executing a twist kick which worked its way under the opponent's guard.

"Point black," the judge said.

Tatsuki and her opponent got back to their starting marks. At the signal, they moved in closer. Tatsuki was still aggressive, but kept her power at bay. The opponent kicked, which Tatsuki blocked and then moved in with a counterstrike.

"Point black," the judge said again.

Once again the opponents moved in. It was obvious that Tatsuki didn't like having to constrain herself in such a way, but she bided her time and eased her way through three more points. Tamotsu sighed. She had great skill, but needed to control her power.

After declaring Tatsuki the winner, Tamotsu looked at the scoreboard. There were still several matches to move through in the first round, but it was an elimination tournament. Each round would eliminate half of the contenders.

Tamotsu and Tatsuki watched the competition, studying their movements and tactics. None of them seemed to be particularly skilled, mostly just people that wanted to have their moment of glory in a one in a thousand chance of actually winning the tournament.

The final match in Round One was about to begin. It was a pairing of the event's host, Takeo Saegusa, and someone who looked like they held some promise of a decent match. Takeo wore white pads, his opponents black.

Meeting in the center, the two bowed to each other then took a fighting stance. Tamotsu noted that Takeo's stance was aggressive, as was his opponent's. At the signal, the two began to circle slowly. They seemed to be analyzing each other, playing out scenarios in their minds. These two were skilled, and they knew it. They weren't barging in like most of the other contenders.

The black-geared contender moved first, striking with a front kick, followed by a round house kick with the back leg and finishing with a spinning side kick. Takeo dodged the first two and blocked the final kick with extending his own leg under the opponent's guard.

"Point white," the judge said. Moving back to their starting points, the contenders again circled each other at the signal to start.

Each contender made several false strikes, testing each other's reflexes and awareness as to if it were an actual strike. They were evenly matched. Takeo exploded into action with a flurry of kicks and strikes. It caught the opponent off guard and a kick to the head scored Takeo two points.

The opponent was upset, but kept his cool. This is what Tamotsu had hoped to see. It was best to first analyze the target. He usually allowed his opponent the first point. A risky move, but it often paid off as the first point would cause the opponent to become more confident and lower their guard as well as showing their favorite techniques. The most common moves were the ones someone is most familiar with. Very rarely in sparring does someone attempt to score points with a move that is difficult or unknown to them.

The third set began. Unlike the other two sets, the opponents each charged each other in full flurry with kicks and punches, blocks and dodging. This got the audience going, this is what they wanted to see. In their minds, the two were wailing on each other at incredible strength and speed.

Tamotsu could see each movement clearly, though. Every punch, every kick, and every block was plain as day to him. He couldn't explain how, but he was able to watch and analyze everything.

Dodging a punch, Takeo ducked down and spun backward. Lifting one leg up into a crescent kick, the first strike missed but his momentum kept going and the second strike landed and scored Takeo three points and won him the match. The crowd cheered and Tamotsu applauded. There was something about this man Takeo. He just couldn't place it right now.

The second match ups were selected. It seemed that each round would be a random assortment of people. This would mean that nobody could predict who their next opponent would be. It was better that way, Tamotsu thought. Maybe the less skilled would be put against each other and the better fighters would be able to spar with each other.

Looking at the chart, it showed that Tamotsu would be in the fourth match up, as would Tatsuki. Not against each other, but they were still getting warmed up. There would be five more rounds until the last two standing. Tamotsu was sure Takeo would make it. The only question was who would be the opponent?

* * *

><p>Takeo went into the makeshift office and looked at the entry form. He had gotten through most of the list before the tournament began. He crossed off the names of those who lost the first round. Scanning down, he saw the last name on the list. Tamotsu Toshiyuki.<p>

The name struck him sharply and he looked at the painting of Captain Kenpachi Zaraki. On the lower right hand corner was the same name, written the same way.

Takeo's eyes narrowed. _So there is someone like me after all, _he thought. _My tournament has drawn you out. You must remember your past life as well. But which Division were you from? You have drawn many of the Captains. But which is yours?_

Finishing the listing of names, Takeo looked at the remaining contenders. It had to be one of them. But which one? Skill alone wouldn't tell him, but he would be able to know if they were to face each other in the ring. Someone with great skill. Takeo looked back at the painting of the Eleventh Division Captain. It was only a matter of time now.


	21. Battle of the Champions

MORE THAN A TOURNAMENT

Tamotsu sat and watched intently at the competitors in the rings. He had gotten through his first and second rounds easily, and nobody had dared to cross him after the incident with his first opponent. The third round had begun, and nearly all the inexperienced amateurs with false hopes of winning were eliminated. It seemed that each round was calculated for efficiency, in order to weed out the weak. And each time, it seemed that the Tournament's organizer, Takeo Saegusa, always chose the strongest opponents.

He couldn't help but feel there was something more with Takeo. He seemed to try lagging on to the experience, but at the same time trying to prove himself to be superior. There seemed to be something more to this whole experience, but Tamotsu couldn't place it. He could feel something in the air.

The crowd erupted in cheers as Tatsuki won her third round. Tamotsu was up next. It was odd that he hadn't been placed directly with Tatsuki yet, as their skills were compatible with one another even if they did use opposing techniques. There were only a few more rounds left, and he felt like soon it would all be revealed to him. All he had to do was hang in and stay in the tournament.

Donning his red sparring gear, Tamotsu entered the ring. His opponent this time was a male, wearing white gear with a customized logo. It was clear this one wasn't going to be easy. Glancing outside the ring, he happened to see Takeo looking directly at him. There was a look of anticipation in the man's eyes. And something else stuck out. He felt as if Takeo was warning him not to disappoint.

Tamotsu approached the line for the starting position. At the judge's command, he bowed to his opponent and assumes his starting stance. The other man assumed a similar stance. But unlike Tamotsu, who was relaxed, this man seemed quite tense. He could see it in the man's eyes. A fury and determination to win. _This one isn't going to be easy, _Tamotsu thought.

The judge gave the cue to begin and immediately the other man charged in and threw several combinations of kicks and punches. Tamotsu blocked and dodged the first wave and countered with a roundhouse kick that made its way past the man's guard.

"Point Red," the judge called. Tamotsu had scored first point, but he also had shown his technique for battle. His opponent had quickly realized this as well, smiling as he made it back to the starting line.

The judge motioned for the next round to begin. Again, a flurry of techniques. Rather than stopping after a few combinations as he had last time, the white fighter continued in a barrage of techniques. He was all about offensive technique. Finding a couple of openings, Tamotsu fired off a few quick kicks and punches but was quickly drawn back by his opponent's aggression.

The round lasted about forty-five seconds, quite long for a sparring round in martial arts, but the opponent prevailed when he broke through Tamotsu's guard and landed a punch to the side of his head.

"Point White," the judge called. Again, the two opponents moved to their starting lines.

At the cue, the third round began. Instead of charging in, the White held back. Tamotsu understood after a quick second. The opponent had seen his defensive techniques and was impressed. Now he wanted to see Tamotsu's offensive maneuvers.

Using a couple of quick false jabs and kicks, White made it clear that his own defensive maneuvers were on par with Tamotsu's. Another quick jab and White countered. Knocking the counterstrike away, Tamotsu threw a flurry of kicks and punches that caught the opponent off guard. A triple-kick combination proved successful and Tamotsu landed his second point.

White was smiling now. At the signal, the next round began. Switching back to his aggressive tactics, White used a new style of flying and spinning kicks. Showing off now, but still skilled, one of the kicks landed on Tamotsu's head. Two more points for White. White was in the lead by one, the score being three to two.

The next round went quickly, as White snuck in with a strike-counterstrike combination with his fist. Tamotsu grimaced. One more point and White would win.

When the next round began, White was bouncing on the balls of his feet, fully pumped and ready to score the winning point. Tamotsu held firm as a flurry of spinning kicks flew at Tamotsu. An outward right crescent kick, followed by a left roundhouse kick. White continued spinning and Tamotsu saw his opportunity. He had used this combination himself, and he knew what was coming next.

Jumping up high, Tamotsu was three feet off the ground by the time White came in with his spinning side kick. It was intended to power through Tamotsu's defense and score the winning point. Except Tamotsu was already extending his own kick. By the time White realized what was happening, it was too late to block or dodge.

Tamotsu's jumping kick landed squarely on the part of White's head gear that protected his forehead. It was strong enough to make White stumble, but soft enough not to knock him down. _Three points,_ Tamotsu thought. _I win this round._

The judge declared Tamotsu the winner and he removed his head gear. White had a look of disappointment on his face, but it quickly turned into a smile as he removed his own head gear.

"Well done," White said. "I allowed my confidence to cloud my judgment and you found my weakness. An excellent match my friend. I wish you luck in the finals!"

Before he could do anything, White grabbed Tamotsu's wrist and held it high. The crowd cheered at the show of sportsmanship and Tamotsu allowed himself a smile. Looking over to where Takeo was, Tamotsu saw the man smile. It wasn't so much a smile of congratulations, but something else. What Tamotsu read from it was that Takeo really wanted to fight with Tamotsu.

There was definitely something more to this tournament. There was no way this could just be random. Tamotsu wanted to fight the man Takeo as well, but not for the sake of winning the tournament. He felt there was something about the man that he could only learn in close quarters. Something about him he could only learn in battle.

GAMES AND TRAINING

Hinohebi walked with Inoue along the upper level of the mall. They had mostly been window shopping, neither of them having much money to spend. It wasn't until Hinohebi stopped in front of the arcade that she showed genuine interest in something.

At the entrance of the arcade was a crowd gathered. There were two younger men dancing on a platform with lights and arrows. "Hey, Inoue," Hinohebi said. "What's going on there? Another kind of tournament?"

"No, they're just playing a game," Inoue answered. "Its called Dance Dance Revolution. They have to match their movements with the arrows that are set to different songs."

Hinohebi worked her way through the crowd. At the front, she could see clearly the platforms. The two players were keeping in sequence with the various arrows that appeared. Sometimes one of them would make a mistake and the crowd would be disappointed.

But Hinohebi saw it in a different light. This wasn't just some game. It seemed that in order to win, the player had to be in good physical condition. Coordination and agility played a key factor as well.

When the song ended, the screed declared a winner. The crowd cheered as he took a victory bow. Hinohebi applauded, appreciating the aspects of training this game showed.

"Now," the winner announced. "I would like to issue a challenge. Just like the tournament downstairs, I would offer the chance for any one of you to compete. The winner will be declared the best this side of Tokyo and will receive a complimentary dinner to the restaurant of their choice!"

The crowd looked away. It sounded like a great prize, but nobody dared challenge the Champion.

"I'll do it," Hinohebi said.

"What?" Inoue said surprised. "But you've never played it before!"

"It seems simple enough. Speed, accuracy and coordination."

The champion smiled. "We have a competitor then! Right this way, young lady."

Hinohebi removed her jacket and gave it to Inoue. She jumped onto the platform and quickly examined the buttons on the floor.

"We'll start out simple," the Champion said. "Both of us, to ensure fair play. Each round will get more difficult. Also, to ensure fair play, each of us will begin on Medium difficulty. Agreed?"

Hinohebi smiled. "Okay. Just don't be too disappointed when you lose. I've got more experience with coordination than you think."

"Ha! You couldn't be older than eighteen, girl."

"I'm older than I look." Hinohebi readied herself. The Champion scrolled through various songs. Hinohebi didn't recognize any of the names, but that didn't matter. She could adapt. They had a fast tempo but the beat is what seemed to matter.

The music started and arrows appeared on the bottom and moved up. Hinohebi caught on quickly, matching the arrows as they hit the top of the screen. It became more difficult as the song progressed, but she was able to keep pace.

Hinohebi actually enjoyed it. It took a lot of coordination, but so did working with Tamotsu while in her zanpakuto form. At least if she messed up here nobody would be in danger. But she never messed up.

When the song finished, each player had gotten a 100% score.

"Well, well," the Champion said with a smile. "You look like you're a natural at this. I was going to take smaller steps up, but since you've got some great natural talent I'm gonna go ahead and step this up a couple notches. Difficult mode on the next song, and make it a bit harder tempo."

"You're on," Hinohebi said, smiling herself. She was enjoying herself. She only hoped Tamotsu was as well.

* * *

><p>Tamotsu blocked the kick from his current opponent, this one wearing blue pads. The kick was up high, intended for Tamotsu's head. But the kick left Blue open for a quick strike to the ribs. Using the opportunity, Tamotsu went forward and scored his fifth point.<p>

The judge called victory. It was close, the final score being 5-4. He had almost lost that one. If he was to face Takeo and find out the truth behind this tournament, he would have to abandon his normal style of sparring and be more aggressive.

This was the semi-final round. He would make it to the Finals, that much was certain. Takeo had been fighting Tatsuki in that round, so he wasn't able to see the victor. But after removing his head gear, Tamotsu found Tatsuki sitting on a chair outside the taped off ring. She was sweating, breathing hard and shaking from adrenaline.

"He won," Tatsuki said when Tamotsu approached. "He won…"

"What happened?" Tamotsu asked.

"When I fought him, I felt a power coming from him. It was a power like what I feel when I'm around Ichigo. And a power I feel around you as well. And I lost…"

Tamotsu turned to see Takeo removing his own head gear. He was sweating as well as he took a drink of water. Not shaking like Tatsuki was, but clearly it had been a tough match. It was clear now. Tamotsu would face Takeo Saegusa in the final round.

A two minute rest was issued for the finalists to prepare themselves. Tamotsu meditated. Tatsuki had said that there was a power surrounding Takeo. It was similar to what he had. Knowing exactly where to look, Tamotsu opened his senses. A moment later the world he saw was filled with light of various colors. The lights were surrounding people, most of them dim. But when he looked at Takeo, the light was a bright green that drowned out some of the other lights closer to him.

Tamotsu opened his eyes. _So that's it,_ Tamotsu thought. _You have a strong reiatsu about you._

The judge called for Tamotsu and Takeo to enter the ring. The two competitors stared at each other intently. It seemed they knew what to expect from each other. They bowed and the judge gave the signal to begin.

Circling around, each opponent was waiting for the other to make the first move. Tension built. As if on some unseen cue, Tamotsu and Takeo lunged for each other. Kicks and fists flew. Takeo was fast, much faster than Tamotsu had anticipated.

A punch narrowly missed Tamotsu's head gear as he dodged and fired a counter punch, to which Takeo also dodged. Unable to move fast enough, Tamotsu saw the other gloved fist approaching. A flash of green light appeared as the glove made contact. The judge called for a point and the opponents made it to the center of the ring again.

Tamotsu understood now. Takeo was using his reiatsu to increase the speed and power of his attacks. If that were the case, he could do the same.

The judge called for the next round to begin. Rather than circling each other, the two came full speed. Tamotsu held off, using his own speed and waiting for the opportunity. It presented itself soon enough as he felt a burst of reiatsu from Takeo. Waiting for the last possible moment, he fueled his own reiatsu into a block and counterstrike.

The punch landed on the side of Takeo's head gear, the judge calling a point for Tamotsu. Takeo's eyes widened at the unexpected event. The secret was out. Neither of them would be able to hold back any more.

Moving back to their starting lines, Takeo looked as if he were about to ready himself but then stopped. He removed his hand and head gear and walked over to the judge. He didn't make out any words that Tamotsu could hear, but rather made gestures with his hand.

"Are you sure, sir?" the judge asked. Takeo nodded. "Very well then. Takeo Saegusa has asked that points not be scored for this match. Also, it will be a free for all with no gear and no restrictions on space. The entire area is to be used."

Tamotsu's eyes went wide. Was this serious? No gear, no points and no restrictions? He would have to use his abilities to the greatest degree, combining his skill with his reiatsu if he were to stand any chance against Takeo.

Moving to the center of the middle ring, the judge signaled them to begin. Without the sparring gear, the two combatants were able to perform several more types of maneuvers, but at the risk of greater injury should one of these strikes land on their bodies.

It began with large swinging punches, to which were blocked and countered with expert precision on both sides. Takeo punched with his right hand to which Tamotsu blocked and swung the blocking hand into a knife hand strike. Takeo ducked and grabbed Tamotsu's other hand.

Recognizing the technique, Tamotsu jumped up so he could bend the elbow and swung his right leg around in a round house kick. Takeo ducked and came up, just as Tamotsu was continuing the spin for a second kick with his left leg. Takeo blocked and Tamotsu landed now free of being held. The entire sequence only took three seconds, but to the combatants they were able to see and analyze everything. Both of them were using reiatsu to sense each other's moves and act accordingly, while at the same time increasing the speed of their own attacks.

The first flurry over, each competitor stepped back into a low stance and displayed their flexibility. Takeo was smiling, and Tamotsu understood. This man was a Reincarnate. This tournament was set up to find someone else with strong Reiatsu. Someone who could match the technique of merging reiatsu with their own physical moves. And he seemed to be enjoying the fight.

* * *

><p>Rangiku was in the middle of signing a calendar when she felt the disturbance. Even though her reiatsu resonated with Tamotsu's, she was able to instantly recognize that her brother was fighting.<p>

"Hey," the man standing in front of Rangiku said. "Don't stop, finish the signature."

"Oh, sorry," Rangiku said. After finishing the signature, she pulled out a small sign and placed it on the table. "I need to take a break for a few minutes, I'll be back later." She smiled broadly at the line of disappointed faces. She did like the attention, and she was being paid for each calendar that she sold and signed. But this was more important. Her brother was fighting and releasing a high degree of reiatsu. She had to make sure he was all right.

Finding him was no trouble. There was a large crowd gathering around the edge of the upper level. They were looking down to where the impromptu martial arts tournament was being held. Working her way to the edge, Rangiku looked down. She could see Tamotsu fighting with someone else, but the sight worried her.

"Kiyoshi…" she said softly. "Kiyoshi, is that really you?" She remembered the five years while he served under her in Soul Society. He was unable to perform physical techniques with any real skill. Yet there he was now, executing perfectly advanced techniques that she had never seen anyone from Shino Academy use.

Jumping, spinning kicks with extreme precision. Punches and blocks with such perfect timing that if she didn't know any better Rangiku would claim that this was a practiced routine. What was more, she could sense a large amount of reiatsu emanating not only from her brother, but the man he was fighting as well.

* * *

><p>Hinohebi and the Champion were on their fourth song together with the gaming platform. The difficulty was now set to extra-hard and the skill required to perform these advanced maneuvers would have to be world class. Two opposing cues was difficult enough for most players, but this current song had three and even four cues they had to hit at the same time. This involved dropping down and hitting the markers not only with their feet, but their hands as well.<p>

It was clear that the Champion was going all out in an attempt to prove himself superior, but he was quickly getting tired. He had already outperformed several competitors previous to his challenge. And he was only human. Hinohebi, on the other hand, was the spirit of a zanpakuto in a physical body. She did not tire easily and, if anything, was eager for something even more difficult.

The movements became faster as the song was reaching its climax. Hinohebi saw there was a difficult move approaching. All eight of the panels would be used, the four straight directions and the four diagonal ones. But it was only to hit them in a clockwise pattern.

Seizing the opportunity she held herself up with one hand and swung her legs around in a spin, hitting each of the markers on cue. The Champion, however, attempted the same maneuver and ended up tripping over his own hand. He collapsed on his back and could only stare as Hinohebi finished the song.

Hinohebi's score was still at 100%, while the Champion had missed some steps and had a final score of 94%. At the final sound, Hinohebi struck a victory pose. Lights flashed all around her and the crowd cheered.

Hinohebi looked down at the Champion and smiled. "That was fun," she said. "Thanks a lot!" Jumping over the rail, she took her jacket from Inoue and started walking out among the several congratulations she was receiving.

"Wait a minute!" the Champion cried out. "I lost the bet. What about your prize?"

"Oh, keep it. I just wanted to have some fun, that's all. Thanks for letting me play!" With that, Hinohebi and Inoue left the arcade. The two girls hadn't gone too far when they were approached by a young man from the crowd.

"That was incredible," the man said. "I haven't seen anyone get 100% on that level before. Where'd you learn to play like that?"

Hinohebi turned and looked at the man. He was about Inoue's age with short black hair and pale skin. "Oh, I never learned to play," Hinohebi answered with a smile. "That was my first time playing it actually."

The man was shocked. "You've never played that before?"

"Nope. Hey, we should probably go see Tamotsu. He should be in the Finals now."

"Tamotsu. Is he a friend of yours?"

"Yep. Tamotsu's my Master."

The man's eyes bugged out, as did Inoue's. Covering Hinohebi's mouth, she cut into the conversation. "She means her martial arts Master," she said. "Tamotsu is in the tournament going on downstairs right now."

"Oh, okay," the man said. "By the way. My name is Makko. Makko Tsubuya."

"I'm Inoue Orihime," Inoue said.

"I'm Hinohebi," Hinohebi responded.

"Hinohebi?" Makko asked. "What is your surname?"

"Oh, I don't have a surname."

Grabbing Hinohebi by the arm, Inoue stepped between the two. "Uh, we should probably head over to see how Tamotsu is doing," she said. Pulling Hinohebi close, Inoue whispered into her ear. "Be careful of what you say. Remember you're not in Seireitei so these people don't know about Shinigami or zanpakuto or spirits. They're just human."

Hinohebi frowned. "Aww, now I feel like I'm hiding again," she said.

It wasn't long before they found the crowds gathered around the second level staring down at the tournament.

"What's going on?" Inoue asked someone close by. "There weren't this may people watching at the beginning."

"You're really missing out," someone else said. "That Tamotsu guy and Takeo are really wailing on each other!"

Looking down, the group saw two figures fighting each other. No gear and no restrictions on area, they were performing maneuvers that one would think impossible outside of the Matrix or glorified martial arts movies. Moving at full speed, they executed techniques with such speed and accuracy that it appeared that everyone in the mall was watching a spectacle.

* * *

><p>Tamotsu jumped and spun around, executing a triple kick combination and landed in time to block as Takeo moved in with punches and speed kicks. Punching and blocking, both contenders were now covered in sweat. They had been going all out against each other for nearly five minutes, but with their advanced senses analyzing each technique it seemed to them to be a lot longer.<p>

Takeo jumped in with a flying side kick to which Tamotsu dodged, only to find another kick coming in. Bending backward and placing his hand on the ground behind for support, he dodged once again. Using the momentum from the dodge, he continued backward and performed a near back flip and landed on his feet some distance away.

Takeo moved in once again, but Tamotsu blocked and issued a number of counterstrikes. Both contenders increased their speed, not allowing each other time to think of any strategy. A final strike was issued by both of them, stopping only an inch away from their target. They stood, breathing hard as sweat dripped from their brows.

There was a moment of silence as the two contenders stood motionless. All at once, the entire mall seemed to cheer for the spectacle they had just witnessed. Bowing to each other, Takeo too Tamotsu's arm and raised it high, declaring him the winner. To this, the crowd cheered louder.

There was no doubt in each others' minds. Both of them had fought well, and each was able to use their reiatsu to increase the speed and power of their attacks.

"Thank you, Takeo Saegusa," Tamotsu said. "I'm sure I was the one you were looking for."

Takeo nodded, then motioned Tamotsu to his makeshift office. Once inside, Takeo removed a covering and revealed Tamotsu's painting of Captain Kenpachi Zaraki.

"I see," Tamotsu said. "But I wasn't on the Eleventh Division. I was from the Tenth."

Takeo looked surprised, but said nothing. He nodded and then motioned that Tamotsu could leave.

"If you would like, you can come see me at this location," Tamotsu said as he wrote down the address for Urahara's shop. Takeo took it and nodded.

Stepping outside, Tamotsu was met by Rangiku who embraced him strongly. "Kiyoshi!" she said. "I've never seen you do anything like that before. That was incredible. Were you holding out on us?"

"I don't know," Tamotsu responded. "It just sort of came to me."

"Whatever the reason, you should probably head outside. That outburst of reiatsu the two of you expelled is sure to attract Hollows."

"Sheesh… I just get back from Seireitei where I fought Hollows then dragged here and give the fight of my life and now I'm supposed to take care of Hollows again?"

Hinohebi put her hands on her hips. "Its your own fault for whatever comes out," she said.

"Okay, fine," Tamotsu said as he sighed and lowered his head. "I'll need you out of that gigai and back in the zanpakuto then." Hinohebi looked disappointed at that statement. "Hey, that's the way it works. I'm a Shinigami and you're my zanpakuto."

"Oh, all right."

"Shinigami and zanpakuto?" Makko asked. "Never heard of that type of martial arts before."

"Who's this?" Tamotsu asked.

"This is Makko," Hinohebi answered. "We met at the arcade."

"I see… Well, sorry to break this off but I'm going to need Hinohebi for a bit." Taking Hinohebi by the arm, Tamotsu led her out of the mall. Looking back, Hinohebi waved goodbye.

* * *

><p>Takeo sat looking at the paper that Tamotsu had given to him. He had heard about Kisuke Urahara, or rather remembered hearing of him back in his days as a Shinigami. If this was where he needed to go for him to become a Shinigami once again, he would do so. But there was something more to Tamotsu Toshiyuki than what he could see. He knew that much.<p>

With his fighting skills, he could easily have been accepted into the Eleventh Division. So why go for Ten? Or was there something else?

It didn't matter now. He could soon return to his Captain. But first, he wanted to see what else the painter/Shinigami could do.


	22. The Reincarnate and the Representative

ENTER ICHIGO

Tamotsu walked outside of the mall after several stops of congratulations on his being declared the winner of the tournament. He didn't much care for the attention, he never did. He had fought his best and that was all that mattered. On top of that, he had discovered another Reincarnate.

It was clear that Takeo Saegusa was from the Eleventh Division. He was a good fighter, not to mention the painting of Captain Zaraki which he had bought.

But there was no time to rest. Rangiku and Hinohebi had told him that the amount of reiatsu released from their battle was sure to attract Hollows, and the protection of the citizens of Karakura came in first priority.

It wasn't long until Tamotsu found a suitable field where the Hollows would surely gather. An open area with low traffic, nobody would be within range of his attacks. He thought he was alone, until he was someone casually walking in his direction.

The kid was probably seventeen years old with bright orange hair, a little taller than Tamotsu. He couldn't have anyone in the area when the Hollows appeared.

"You'll probably want to leave this area if you know what's good for you," Tamotsu said.

"Huh?" the kid said. "What are you talking about? Its looking like it'll be a nice night."

"No, you don't understand. Something's about to-" Tamotsu stopped as the kid approached. He could feel an incredible reiatsu emanating from around him. It was strong, yet he could feel trace amounts of other reiatsu. Concentrating, he opened his mind and saw the reiatsu surrounding the kid.

It was bright blue, like a blazing inferno around him. Once in a while, he would catch small variations in the colors. Tamotsu could only guess, but it would appear that several of the Captains' and Lieutenants' reiatsu had trace amounts mixed in with his own. Concentrating harder, he found something that set his nerves on edge.

"Rangiku…" Tamotsu said. "What are you doing with Rangiku's reiatsu?"

"What?" the kid asked. "Wait a minute. How do you know Rangiku?"

"I asked you a question, kid. Why do you have trace amounts of Rangiku's reiatsu?"

"Look, don't keep calling me kid. Got it? The name's Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm a Substitute Shinigami."

Tamotsu narrowed his eyes. "So, you're the famous Ichigo Kurosaki then."

"That's right. And you're probably not much older than me yourself so show a little respect. And why so protective about Rangiku? Or do you have some type of crush on her?"

Tamotsu choked. "Why you- I don't have a crush on her!"

"Oh, but why are you turning red then?" Ichigo said as he elbowed Tamotsu in the ribs. "Is it her long flowing hair? Or maybe her oversized chest?"

That last comment sent Tamotsu over the edge. "Nobody talks about Rangiku that way- Except for her!"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, you're secret is safe with me."

Tamotsu was about to say something else when a glossy picture fell in front of him. Adjusting his eyes, he could see it was one of the images from Rangiku's calendar. The sight of Rangiku in a skimpy swimsuit made him turn around and look directly into the eyes of Rangiku.

"Rangiku what do you think you're doing?" Tamotsu cried out. "I don't want to see your skimpy pictures!"

Rangiku retrieved the calendar and gave Tamotsu a look of disappointment. "Aww, that's a shame," she said. "All the other guys loved looking at my pictures."

"But you're my sister for crying out loud!"

Ichigo folded his arms and nodded. "Oh, I get it. She's you're sister and you're being protective of her. Wait, what? Rangiku's your sister?"

"That's right! And I'd appreciate it if you'd show her a bit more respect!"

Tamotsu and Ichigo glared at each other, sparks seeming to fly from their eyes. Stepping between the two, Rangiku placed her hands on each of their shoulders. "Now, now," she said. "Let's step back a bit. I bet you two haven't had a proper introduction yet."

Tamotsu grudgingly stuck his hand out. "Tamotsu Toshiyuki," he said. "Shinigami Reincarnate."

Taking Tamotsu's hand, Ichigo gave him a firm grip in a formal handshake. "Ichigo Kurosaki," he responded. "Substitute Shinigami."

Allowing the handshake to become extended, Tamotsu gripped tighter and passed electricity through his hand in his improvised form of Hado 11. Ichigo went stiff as yellow electricity raced over his body for half a second before stopping. His body limped over with smoke rising as Tamotsu released his grip.

"Kiyoshi!" Rangiku said, putting her hands on her hips.

"He deserved it!" Tamotsu replied as he pointed an accusing finger at Ichigo.

"Wait a minute," Ichigo said. "Your name is Kiyoshi? I thought you said it was Tamotsu."

"Only she gets to call me Kiyoshi!" Tamotsu said, pointing to Rangiku.

"Hey, Kiyoshi," Rangiku said. Tamotsu couldn't see, but she was putting on a type of blue glove with a skull symbol on it.

"What is it?" Tamotsu asked as he turned to his sister.

Thrusting her hand forward, Rangiku struck Tamotsu on the forehead and pushed. A blue flash of light, and Tamotsu's body and spirit were separated.

"You hit me!" Tamotsu said.

Rangiku picked up Tamotsu's body and smiled. "Nonsense," she said. "You forgot Lucky again. How else were you supposed to transform into a Shinigami and deal with those Hollows?"

"Yeah, but you hit me! The implication was that you hit me!"

"Have fun you two!" With that, Rangiku ran off toward the buildings with Tamotsu's body.

Ichigo looked at Tamotsu in his Shinigami form. "So you really are a Shinigami," he said.

"Reincarnated, yes," Tamotsu responded. "Look, there was a bit of an incident where I released a bunch of reiatsu and there's bound to be Hollows showing up so if you don't mind I'll have to get to work here in a minute."

"I guess I should probably get changed too then," Ichigo said as he pulled out his combat pass. Pressing the wooden object to his chest, a burst of light erupted and Ichigo was separated into his Shinigami form.

"Why couldn't you have just used that thing on me?" Tamotsu asked.

"I don't know if it would work on you. Captain Ukitake gave it to me, so I'm guessing it only works on me. I haven't tried it out on anything else so I don't know what'll happen." Looking over to Tamotsu, Ichigo finally took notice of the whip wrapped around his shoulder. "So do you really expect to fight Hollows with that whip of yours? Think you're Indiana Jones or something?"

Tamotsu smiled. "Better than that giant meat cleaver of yours," he said. Feeling the dark reiatsu start to build, Tamotsu unraveled his whip. "Get ready. Here they come."

A black line appeared in the sky and began to divide, warping the space as the dimensional doorway for the Hollows opened. Howling, a Hollow stuck its head through and looked down at the two Shinigami. Ichigo jumped up and stood thirty feet in the air.

"Aren't you coming?" Ichigo called down to Tamotsu.

"I can't fight in the air," Tamotsu answered. "I never really figured out how, I just keep falling."

"Great, just wonderful," Ichigo said, the sarcasm in his voice clearly showing. He jumped up higher and slew the Hollow as it entered the world. "If you can't fight in the air then how the hell do you expect to help me?"

Ichigo didn't sense it coming, but as he turned around to face Tamotsu on the ground a streak of blue lightning flew past his face. He saw that the blast had actually struck another Hollow that appeared behind him.

"I can't fight in the air, but I'm really good with Kido," Tamotsu said.

"Hey be careful, will you? That almost hit me!"

"Get the ones that you can up there. I'll concentrate on the closer ones."

More Hollows appeared and Ichigo hacked at them, jumping from one to another using Shunpo. After a few moments, Ichigo looked down to check on Tamotsu. Various colors of light erupted from Tamotsu's palms as he fired of various Kido spells. Seemingly unknown to Tamotsu, a larger Hollow made its way slowly toward him from behind.

"Hey, watch out behind you!" Ichigo cried out.

Tamotsu jumped out of the way and into a roll as the Hollow's hand lashed out at him. Twice more he dodged. Unable to concentrate for a full Kido spell, he decided to channel his reiatsu into his body. His fists began to glow with blue energy as he threw a punch that deflected one of the Hollow's swings, then struck the Hollow in the chest while channeling a large amount of reiatsu into the finishing blow.

The Hollow shrieked then howled before dissolving into the air. Ichigo jumped down next to Tamotsu.

"That Hollow could have taken you out!" Ichigo shouted. "Why didn't you get away using Shunpo?"

Tamotsu scratched the back of his head innocently. "Well, I never learned how to use Shunpo either," he answered.

"Oh, come on! How pathetic of a Shinigami can you be?"

"More Hollows," Tamotsu said, pointing almost nonchalantly at the sky.

Ichigo grunted as he jumped into the air once again and began to hack at the Hollows. Tamotsu kept careful watch over the procedure, firing off Kido when he had the chance and sensing where more Hollows would appear. Opening his mind to view the world using reiatsu, Tamotsu was surprised to find a bright green signature approaching from the direction of the mall.

Opening his eyes and looking over in the direction, Tamotsu saw Takeo approaching. Takeo was watching the sky and walking slowly to where Ichigo's body was lying.

"Takeo…" Tamotsu said. "Takeo, what are you doing here?"

Takeo said nothing as he looked down and picked something up. Even from a distance, Tamotsu could tell that it was Ichigo's combat pass. Was Takeo really planning on using it? Was there any chance it would even work? There wasn't any telling what would happen if a human used a combat pass, even if there was the strong possibility of them being a Reincarnate.

On top of that, it was meant to be used by Ichigo himself. It could reject anyone else's soul and deny separation, or worse yet, destroy any other soul that used that special pass.

"Takeo, don't!" Tamotsu cried as he began running. "Stop, Takeo! Don't do it!" Takeo looked at the pass and then at Ichigo, who was continuing to fight the Hollows. "Takeo, NO!"

Takeo took the pass and slammed it against his chest. A bright green pillar of light erupted into the sky, causing Ichigo and the Hollows to stop momentarily. The light faded and Takeo stood in full Shinigami gear. But there was something unexpected. Tamotsu could see that the zanpakuto wasn't sheathed at Takeo's side, but rather seemed to already be in released mode on his back. Looking closer, Tamotsu could see two jagged scars running lengthwise across Takeo's neck.

Reaching behind himself, Takeo removed his zanpakuto. Tamotsu could see that it seemed to be two swords merged in the center offering a safe grip wile the majority of the length was made up of the silvery metal of the blade. Overall, it looked like a double-bladed bo staff.

Looking up at the oncoming Hollows, Takeo jumped up and began swinging the zanpakuto in great circular motions and cut down several of the dark spirits at once. Ichigo turned in surprise at the appearance of the newcomer.

_Who's this guy?_ Ichigo thought to himself. But the newcomer didn't even look at Ichigo. He was focused on the Hollows that were fast approaching.

"Both of you, get out of the way!" Tamotsu cried out. The two Shinigami in the air turned to see Tamotsu swinging his whip in wide circles, blue reiatsu began to form with incredible pressure around the whip. Not waiting for an explanation, they both jumped down to Tamotsu's side as he threw the whip forward. He cracked the whip and a wide shock wave of blue energy erupted and expanded, taking out the new onslaught of Hollows.

The shock wave continued, fading as it passed further away and the impact area lessened until it faded completely. "Wow," Ichigo said. "I guess I underestimated you. So who's this guy?"

Takeo stuck his hand out for a handshake. "This is Takeo Saegusa," Tamotsu said. "Shinigami Reincarnate and former Eleventh Division member."

Takeo and Ichigo shook hands and Takeo nodded in approval. Tamotsu closed his eyes and concentrated, viewing the world through reiatsu once again. Scanning around, he didn't pick up any other signs of Hollows entering the world at that time.

"Looks like we took care of them all," Tamotsu said.

The trio walked over to where the bodies of Ichigo and Takeo were lying and they stepped into their respective bodies. The sun had set and the stars were beginning to come out. Tamotsu fell onto his back, followed by the two other.

"Hey, Ichigo," Tamotsu said. "Sorry about all the things I said earlier. I've just been going through a lot lately."

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Ichigo responded. "You didn't deserve to have me talking about Rangiku like that. I'll just have to be sure not to say anything else that you'd want to zap me for."

Takeo laughed, even though no sound escaped. He made a gesture, asking if Tamotsu really zapped Ichigo.

"Yeah, I don't know how he did it though."

"Its an altered form of a Kido spell," Tamotsu explained. "I'm not sure how proficient you are at Kido-"

"I can't do squat with it."

"Basically its using your reiatsu and channeling it into different forms. What I got you with is based on Hado number eleven, Tsuzuri Raiden. Normally the electric current travels through an object to get to the intended target. Well, I've learned that it can be used without a path and can be used directly. An advanced form is Hado number sixty-three, Raikoho, where you can fire the electricity through the air."

Ichigo chuckled. "You know I have no idea what you're talking about, right?" he said.

"And you're the one who saved Soul Society and changed its views."

The trio looked up at the oncoming stars. Takeo sat up and performed a few gestures with his hands.

"Sorry, but I don't know what you're trying to say," Tamotsu said.

Reaching into his pocket, Ichigo pulled out a small pad of paper and a pen. He handed it to Takeo, who began writing. _I wish to become a Shinigami once again_, he had written.

"Well, you've been able to separate at least one time," Tamotsu commented. "And the combat pass seems to work on you but it can't always be available. Listen, we've all had a big day. How about you and I go to Urahara's shop and we can figure this out in the morning."

Takeo nodded and stood up. Ichigo and Tamotsu followed.

"Ichigo Kurosaki," Tamotsu said as he extended his hand. "It was good to have met you. Perhaps one day we can fight together once again."

"And its good to know you're not as incompetent as you first seemed," Ichigo responded. He extended his hand but then stopped short. "Hey, you're not going to zap me again are you?"

"No. Just don't say anything bad about my sister okay?"

Ichigo nodded and they shook hands. Tamotsu and Takeo began to walk toward Urahara's shop while Ichigo turned and went off on his own. It was a rocky start, but during the battle they had come to respect each other. What was more, there was one more addition to the ever increasing number of Reincarnates which Tamotsu had been charged with finding.

Takeo walked next to the Shinigami that was so much like him. It was true that he had separated once before. He was afraid only for a moment but remembered who he was. But remembering that night was also hard. It was three months ago when he regained his powers. Three months since he became a Shinigami once more. Three months since he lost his ability to speak… and the woman he loved.

* * *

><p>NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR<p>

Okay, you probably noticed Tamotsu was a lot more whiney at the beginning of this chapter. Truth be told, you have to remember all the things he's been through. Its only been about a week since he regained his powers and the stress was starting to build up a lot. I figured this would be a good time to bring Ichigo into the story. Hey, they had to meet up eventually right? I know, not necessarily my best writing but I'm hoping further chapters will make up for it. As always, comments are welcome. Thanks for reading.


	23. Takeo's Story of Sadness

THREE MONTHS AGO

Takeo Saegusa stood in front of his Martial Arts class. He paced back and forth as his students performed the techniques in the sequence he had told them to. "One more time," he said. "Stronger. More power. Louder yells. Begin!"

The students obeyed their Sensei and performed the sequence once again. Takeo paced and made sure each of his students was performing to the best of their ability. He didn't care if some were incapable of performing certain techniques, only as long as they did their best. And his students knew if they did their best then they would receive his approval.

The students finished the techniques and remained in their final position. "Very good," Takeo told them. "Face me. Dismissed!" In unison, all of his students bowed and walked orderly off of the training area.

One of the younger students approached. "Excuse me, Sensei Saegusa," he said. "I am having trouble with balance on multiple kicks. May I come in tomorrow and practice?"

"Of course," Takeo said. "So long as one of the instructors is here and you do not disturb any classes that are going on you may spend as much time here as you would like."

"Thank you, Sensei!" The student bowed once again and left the dojo. Within moments, all the students had gathered their belongings and left.

A young woman appeared in the doorway as the last student ran outside. "You're doing well with your students, Takeo," she said.

"Hello, Miki," Takeo responded. "What brings you here?"

"Can't I come to be with my brother?"

"Of course you can. My doors are always open to you."

"There is one thing I was wondering about. You have excellent students and they learn well. You are very skilled and could easily become the champion in the whole of Japan. But you never hold tournaments anymore. Why is that?"

Takeo walked off the floor and grabbed a bo staff from against the wall. Walking back to the open floor, he began spinning it around casually. "There aren't many people that can compete with me anymore. Ever since I started having those dreams, I feel my skills have improved. Its like I've experienced them all before. Even with the bo staff, it feels as if a part of my soul is in it. Like I've wielded the weapon before."

"You should compete again. Even if its just once." Miki removed her shoes and approached Takeo. "These dreams. What are they?"

"I'm in a black kimono. I fight dark spirits. They're vivid, but I feel like there's something more to them."

"We'll figure this out, brother."

Walking to the back, Takeo entered a locker and removed his Karate Gi and put his regular clothing on. "You'll have to excuse me, Miki. I have a meeting with Haomi tonight."

"So when are you going to ask her to marry you?"

"Soon, sister. I have to honor her father first and receive his blessing. Then I will ask her."

"The two of you make an excellent couple. I look forward to the day."

Takeo smiled. He and Miki exited the dojo after the lights were turned off and Takeo locked the door. It would be dark soon, but the night was still young. Takeo had great plans for an evening with Haomi. Miki was very supportive. Though she did not practice Martial Arts, she had other gifts. She had some psychic abilities and was doing well in an ESP course. It was beyond Takeo's understanding, but he was still supportive of her.

"Take care, sister," Takeo said. The two embraced and then went their separate ways.

* * *

><p>Haomi Ono was waiting on the doorstep as Takeo approached. She was a bit taller than Takeo, but that didn't matter to the two of them. To Takeo, she was kind and generous. She held no physical skills, but her cooking was comparable to the best chefs in all of Japan.<p>

"Good evening, Takeo," Haomi said as he approached. "You said you have something special planned for tonight?"

"A very special evening," Takeo responded. "But first I must discuss something with your father. Is he in?"

"Yes. Would you like me to join you?"

"I'm sorry, but this must be dealt with privately."

"Very well. You must tell me what you speak of."

"Oh, believe me. You will know." Takeo smiled and entered the household. It was several minutes of waiting outside for Haomi before he returned. "Are you ready then?"

"Aren't you going to tell me what the discussion was about?"

"Later."

The evening began with dinner at a smaller restaurant. The food was not the best, but the place had significant meaning to the two of them. This was the shop where they had met. They returned there often together, but tonight was different.

Once they had finished eating, in front of the entire shop, Takeo presented Haomi with a golden ring with studded diamonds and asked her to be his wife. Tears of joy filling her eyes, she accepted the proposal among congratulations from the patrons within the shop.

They left once their emotions had gotten under control again, walking under the streetlamps of southern Tokyo. It seemed the night couldn't get any better and nothing would destroy the moment. Until Takeo felt the dark presence approaching.

Takeo stopped and looked around. "What is it, Takeo?" Haomi asked.

"It's a dark presence," Takeo responded. "Something evil is here. We have to go." Taking Haomi by the hand, he began running. The area in front of him seemed so shimmer like heat radiating off of a fire and he could vaguely make out a shape.

Ducking down, he could feel a physical presence as it brushed against the top of his head. There was something there, he knew it. He couldn't exactly see it, but he could feel it.

"Takeo, what's happening?" Haomi asked. She screamed as she was pulled into the air. Takeo could see the faint outline of the beast now. Over ten feet tall and wearing some type of white mask. He charged at the beast but was knocked back and slammed into a shop window. Glass poured around him as he landed hard on the sidewalk.

"Takeo, help me!" Haomi screamed.

"Let her go…" Takeo said. "Are you listening to me, beast? I said- Let… her… GO!"

Takeo felt a surge of energy inside of him. Embracing the new power, a pillar of green light and energy formed around him and shattered the surrounding windows. He could feel himself separating from his body, his mind filling with memories of a life he had left behind. He didn't care about the memories though. His entire concentration was to rescue his love from the beast which held her.

After the light faded, Takeo looked up. Dressed in a black kimono and wielding a katana, he did not hesitate in drawing the sword. Seeing the beast clearly now, he remembered they were called Hollows. Leaping up, he cut the Hollow's arm that held Haomi.

The Hollow howled and Haomi fell down. She landed hard, twisting her ankle in the process. "Takeo!" she cried. "Takeo, get up! You said you would protect me!"

"I am protecting you!" Takeo said. But it was no good. Haomi could not see or hear him. All she could see was the motionless form of his body surrounded by broken glass. Seeing that the Hollow was approaching, Takeo held his zanpakuto out in front. " Slay thy enemies, Morohaheijin!"

The zanpakuto Takeo held shone bright white and split in two, becoming a double bladed sword that resembled a bo staff made of steel with sharp edges. Spinning it to gain momentum, Takeo leapt into the air and prepared to strike at the Hollow.

When the distance was almost closed, Takeo was struck down and landed hard on the pavement. Looking up, he saw a second Hollow had appeared. He tried to speak, but only wound up gurgling in his throat. Feeling something wet dripping down his front, he put his hand to his throat and removed it, finding that his hand was now covered in blood.

Trying once again to speak, he only managed to gurgle more blood from the two gaping wounds which the Hollow had given him. Turning away from him, the Hollows turned their attention to Haomi. She was still unaware of what was happening around her, kneeling at the side of his body. Takeo coughed as blood from his wounds was dripping into his throat and down to his lungs.

One of the Hollows lashed out at Haomi, knocking her back. As she sailed through the air, a burst of light erupted from her as she left her body. A long chain connected her to her body, but Takeo's heart sank as it shattered. Her spirit form fell to the ground and rolled.

Haomi looked up, clearly seeing the two giant beasts before her. Panicking, she stood up and ran in the opposite direction. Takeo tried to call out to her, forgetting about the new wounds on his throat and gurgled more blood. His vision became blurred, but he forced himself up. Leaping into the air, he swung the zanpakuto Morohaheijin like a helicopter blade above his heat and struck one Hollow, then the other. Both dissolved into nothingness.

Panting and trying to prevent more blood from entering his lungs, Takeo touched the wounds once again. They felt jagged and it stung when he touched them. He felt dizzy and collapsed to his knees. He could feel cold wetness dropping onto him. His last thought was that it was raining, then he fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>"Takeo," a voice said. "Get up, Takeo." The voice sounded deep and powerful.<p>

Takeo looked up to see a hooded figure standing before him. It was raining fully now, but the figure did not seem to be at all wet.

"Takeo, get up! Stand and return to your body! I will not allow myself to be wielded by one who is weak!"

Takeo forced himself up to his knees and looked at the figure before him. He tried to form words, but only a ragged gasping sound escaped.

"What would your former Captain think if he saw you in this condition? Yes, I know who you are. And who you were."

Forcing himself to crawl, Takeo entered his body with a flash of light. The pain surrounding him was incredible and he coughed. A hundred glass cuts had scraped his physical body. Looking up once again, he was not mistaken that the hooded figure still stood there. Trying to speak, he was only granted a raspy whisper.

"It would seem that the damage to your Spiritual body affects your Physical body as well. You do not need to speak for me to understand you, Takeo. Merely imagine the words and I shall hear you."

Trying to compose himself, Takeo allowed the thoughts to enter his mind. _Who are you?_ he asked.

"You do not recognize me? I was with you in your past life. I followed you still into this life. You and I are one. You have spoken my name. Now, speak it once more."

_Morohaheijin_, Takeo thought. _You stayed with me. But, why?_

"I stayed with you because I chose to." Morohaheijin walked past Takeo and looked at the body of Haomi. "It would seem that your lady friend's spirit has been separated from her body. She is no longer among the living, and her spirit now wanders free in the city."

Looking over to the body of the woman he loved, Takeo's eyes filled with tears. He couldn't protect her.

"Why do you weep? Were you not part of Captain Zaraki's squad? Were you not taught to be strong? Tell me your desire, and it shall become mine as well."

_I wish to fight Hollows once again,_ Takeo said in his mind. _I wish to bring justice to those who have harmed the souls of humans. I wish to fight once again with my Captain._

"Then so be it," Morohaheijin said. "It would seem that since your voice is taken from you, you will not be able to call commands for me to obey. Therefore, I shall remain in my released state for you. Should you need to use my further abilities, you need only imagine them and I shall obey."

Takeo nodded. Morohaheijin began to glow green, then dissolved into particles of energy that entered into Takeo's body. Standing up, he retrieved the body of Haomi and began walking to the nearest hospital.

Thirty minutes later, Takeo sat in the hospital bed with bandages covering his body. He ached with the hundred tiny cuts his body sustained from the glass, but the damage to his psyche was more severe. He had lost his ability to speak, and he had lost the woman he loved. Her chain of fate was severed by the Hollows and Takeo did not know what he could do. He had separated into his Shinigami form, but was unsure if he would be able to do it again.

Miki entered the room at that time. "Takeo," she said. "They said you can't speak, but there is no visible damage. Tell me, what happened?"

Takeo looked for a piece of paper that the doctors had provided for him and got ready to start writing. He was stopped by his sister's hand.

"Takeo. I'm psychic, remember? All you have to do is think the words and I can hear you."

Takeo lowered the paper and sighed. _I remember a past life_, he thought. _I changed into the person I was in that life so I could protect Haomi from the evil spirits. But they attacked and nearly tore out my throat. That is why I cannot speak._

"I'm sorry to hear that. And what happened to Haomi then?"

_She was attacked by the spirits. Her spirit and body separated, and the chain of fate connecting her to her mortal body was broken. I watched as she ran away. I was helpless…_

"Where is he?" a man bellowed in the hallway.

"I'm sorry sir, but you must wait," one of the nurses said.

A large man burst into Takeo's room. He could feel the fury emanating from the man. It was Haomi's father. "You…" he said. "I give you my blessing to marry my daughter and that same night she is killed! You dishonor my family name and bring shame upon your household! I shall never forgive you for this, Takeo! Do you not have any words in your defense?"

Takeo only closed turned away. It was not his fault. He had done his best to protect her, but she was still gone. With nothing more to say, Haomi's father exited the room. The energy of his anger still lingered in the air, and Takeo could do nothing.

The next day, Takeo was released from the hospital. The doctors could find no physical explanation as to why he had lost his voice and blamed it on the shock of losing someone so close to him. But he knew the truth.

A week later, he was teaching classes again. But it was different than before. The energy level was down and students were talking about him. "I heard the woman he was going to marry was killed," they would say. "It must have been hard on Sensei. He hasn't spoken a word since the incident."

Visibly over the next three weeks, Takeo could see fewer and fewer of his students attending classes. It was difficult for him, he loved his students and loved to teach them. But this incident had far greater effects than he could have foreseen. Soon, even he started to appear less and less to teach his classes. He put his trust into his number one disciple and eventually gave the dojo to him entirely.

ONE MONTH AGO

Takeo sat in the house watching television as Miki entered the front door. Takeo's hair was messy and he had not shaved since he handed over control of the dojo.

"Takeo, you look horrible," Miki said.

_Why do I go on, Miki?_ Takeo asked. _It seems my only hold on sanity is being able to communicate with you. I have disgraced our family name. My dojo. My friends. I cannot go on._

Miki approached her brother and dropped to her knees. "There must be some reason this is happening, Takeo. You must find yourself, and I cannot help you. Surely there must be others like you. Perhaps you should seek them out?"

_How do I do that?_

"I can't answer that question. You have to find your own path. Go where your instincts tell you. Look for something that only others like you would know. Try to feel the power within others and you will surely find another."

Takeo did not answer. He looked out the window for a moment and then stood. Grabbing his jacket, he left the house without a word. Going to the train station, he boarded with no particular destination in mind. He remained seated for several stops before exiting in a smaller town called Karakura. He didn't know why he got off there, but he felt something about this town.

Wandering the streets for some time, Takeo wasn't quite sure what he was looking for. But something told him that this was the place he was going to find answers. After another hour of just meandering, he happened by a painting store. He had always respected good art and decided to try clearing his head.

Stepping inside, he was suddenly surrounded by paintings of various styles. Portraits, animals, landscapes and several other contemporary pieces. Walking past one particular painting, he stopped. It was a large man being portrayed, his hair in several points and he wore a jagged white jacket over black robes. Takeo recognized the man in the painting. It was Captain Kenpachi Zaraki.

He stared a long moment and then looked at some of the surrounding paintings. Other Captains of the Gotei Thirteen were depicted, each of them in dynamic poses. Grabbing the one of Captain Zaraki, Takeo purchased it at the counter. Surely there was someone else here who was like him. Someone who remembered their past life, or at least was beginning to.

Takeo returned the following day to his sister's house in Tokyo. He showed her the picture, letting her know of the situation.

"So," Miki said. "What are you going to do about it?"

_I still have connections with the dojo,_ Takeo thought to her. _I can organize a tournament. Surely whoever made these paintings will come._

"And if they don't?"

_I will find them. Believe me, sister. This is something I must do._

Preparations went under way. Takeo wanted to plan the tournament for one month away, so he began to post ads around the town. The current teacher at his dojo would serve as judge, honoring him Sensei in doing what he believed he had to. There was little to believe that he would actually find who he was looking for, but this was the first time he had seen Takeo so active since the incident two months prior.

The following month, Takeo did find the one he was looking for. Tamotsu Toshiyuki. A good fighter, artist for the Captains' paintings and a Reincarnate.

PRESENT DAY

Takeo looked at himself in the mirror. He was in Shinigami form, having been separated thanks to a Gikongan from Urahara's stock supply. Lifting his chin, he looked at the two jagged scars on his neck. His voice was taken that day, among other things.

He had lost much, but vowed to gain it all back. The woman he loved was dead, but her spirit was still in Tokyo. It would take a lot of work, but he would make sure she made it to Soul Society. Takeo's student returned to Tokyo and promised to continue running the dojo as he would have.

But Takeo had a different mission now. He was a Shinigami Reincarnate. He longed to fight again along side his Captain. This was all he knew for certain now. And with others to guide him, he would fight to protect others from the evil plague known as the Hollows.

* * *

><p>NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR<p>

I hoped you enjoyed the backstory for Takeo Saegusa. He was one of the first Reincarnate characters I developed. The name for his zanpakuto, Morohaheijin, means "twin blade" referring to the blades that extend from each end. The name of his sister, Miki, is actually from the Godzilla movies in the 1990's. Yeah, I love Godzilla movies too. Thanks for reading.


	24. Tamotsu's Paranormal Paradigm

CHASE

Tamotsu ran after the Plus spirit as it made its way across the long rooftop. He had been chasing it for a good ten minutes, the early night air not feeling as refreshing as it did. He and Rangiku had found the Plus wandering aimlessly and suddenly became scared once he saw them.

"You're not taking me back there again!" the Plus cried out. "I won't go back to that Institute! They said they'd help me and lied!"

"We're not taking you back to the Institute!" Tamotsu cried out. "We're here to put your spirit to rest so you can go to Soul Society!""Lies!" The Plus ran against the side of the building and was startled to find that he had run out of places to go.

Tamotsu stood twenty feet away, his hands forward in a non-threatening manner. "Look, I don't know what they were doing to you but if you'll trust me you won't have to worry about any of that again."

The Plus shook his head. Rangiku took a step forward. She had held back most of the chase, allowing Tamotsu to take the brunt of the effort but now decided it was best if she spoke.

"You'll like Soul Society," Rangiku said. "There's no hunger and you can be with others like you."

The Plus shook his head again and stepped up onto the ledge.

"You don't want to do this," Tamotsu said.

"Who are you to tell me what I want?" the Plus asked. "I know what I want. I want it all to end right now."

The Plus stepped backward over the edge of the building and Tamotsu ran to lunge over the side. He caught the Plus' arm and threw his whip out to catch a flag pole on the side of the building.

"Rangiku!" Tamotsu cried. "I can't hold him!"

Rangiku nodded from over the edge and used Shunpo to jump to their level. Standing in the air, she took hold of the Plus and used Shunpo again down to ground level. The Plus broke free and fell onto his back as Rangiku unsheathed her zanpakuto.

"What are you doing?" the Plus asked.

"I'm giving you what you want," Rangiku responded. "I'm making it end for you."

Touching the bottom of the hilt on her zanpakuto to the Plus' forehead, a blue circle of light appeared around the Plus and the glowing blue kanji for Burial appeared on his forehead. The Plus sighed, as if all of his fears left him. The glow grew brighter and a black swallowtail butterfly with purple stripes appeared to guide the spirit to the Soul Society.

"That was bothersome. Don't you think, Kiyoshi?" Rangiku looked around for her brother. "Kiyoshi? Where are you?"

"I'm up here," Tamotsu responded.

"What are you still doing up there? Get down here."

"I can't, remember?"

"Oh, that's right." Rangiku had temporarily forgotten that Tamotsu lacked the ability to use Shunpo or stand in the air. So there he hung, whip in hand and wrapped around a street lamp swinging back and forth slowly.

"Ugh, I don't know how this night could get any worse."

It was no sooner than Tamotsu had spoken these words that a series of bright flashes began. Looking over, Rangiku and Tamotsu saw another Shinigami wearing a uniform without sleeves snapping pictures away. Rangiku smiled and began to wave happily to the newcomer.

"Hello, Shuhei!" she called out.

"Huh, what? Hisagi? What are you doing here?"

Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi of the Ninth Division chuckled as he snapped more pictures. "Oh, I wanted to do an article on how the Reincarnates were doing for the Seireitei Communication magazine. These images will make it to the cover for sure!"

"WHAT?" Tamotsu began struggling, but was unable to bring himself to let go of the whip. "Hisagi, when I catch you I'm gonna take that film and shove it down your throat!"

"You'll have to catch me first!" Hisagi said as he continued to take pictures.

Tamotsu struggled and his hand slipped. He fell nearly twenty feet and was caught by Rangiku. "Thanks, sister," Tamotsu said.

More flashes of light and Hisagi was closer, taking more pictures. "These images are even better! Thanks a lot!" With another big smile and chuckle, Hisagi began running.

"Hisagi, get back here! Put me down, Rangiku!" Letting go, Rangiku stepped back as Tamotsu landed on the ground. Quickly standing up, he began to run full speed to where Hisagi had gone. Turning a corner, he could see Hisagi was beginning to open a Senkaimon. "Oh, no you don't!"

With a final laugh, Hisagi jumped through the Senkaimon gate as it opened. Tamotsu leapt forward as the gate immediately began to close and disappeared. Still flying through the air, he landed face-first on the ground and was granted a mouthful of dirt and pavement.

"Kiyoshi, are you all right?" Rangiku asked.

"Hey, Rangiku," Tamotsu said, still facedown and in almost a childlike way. "Can you teach me how to stand in the air?"

Tamotsu and Rangiku walked along the building top. He enjoyed being up in the higher areas, but was unable to make it there himself. Leaning on the edge, Tamotsu sighed.

"What's the matter, Kiyoshi?" Rangiku asked.

"I'm just feeling stressed out," Tamotsu responded. "I'm supposed to be gathering together Reincarnate Shinigami and from what I can tell they're more skilled than I am."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you can't learn. I'll teach you how to stand in the air tomorrow. Its not that hard once you get the hang of it. What else is bothering you?"

"I just feel like so much has changed. Its been what, a week since I got my powers and memories back? Am I even the same person as I was before?"

An assembly of people at the bottom of the building caught Tamotsu's attention. He could see about five people, two of them with expensive looking video equipment.

"What's going on down there?" Tamotsu asked, not realizing he had spoken out loud.

Rangiku stepped beside her brother and looked down. They were about three stories up, but had to strain slightly to hear what was being said. A main spotlight turned on and one of the men in the group began speaking.

"I'm standing outside an abandoned Karakura Town apartment building," he said. "It was scheduled to be demolished last week, but strange instances have occurred which led us, the Tokyo Paranormal Investigation Team, to investigate. With our state of the art equipment, we hope to capture on film the proof we need in order to show you, our viewers, that this is indeed the homestead of restless spirits."

"A paranormal investigation team?" Rangiku asked. "What's the deal with them?"

"They go around trying to prove the existence of ghosts and spirits," Tamotsu answered. "Not too many people take them seriously."

"But we've finished sending the spirits here to Soul Society, there's nothing here any more."

Looking down, a grin spread across Tamotsu's face. "Hey, Rangiku. Want to have some fun?"

THE INVESTIGATORS

Tamotsu and Rangiku entered the building down through the stairwell and saw the team of investigators unloading their equipment.

"Okay, let's check off what we've got here," the man was saying. "Full spectrometer camera, infra-red, night vision and regular crew. Electronic audio recorders and electromagnetic sensors. Looks like we're good to go."

Picking up a type of rod, the man began waving it around and looked at a meter he was holding in his opposite hand. "Electromagnetic sensor," Tamotsu whispered to Rangiku. "Picks up electrical fields and fluctuations in electrical density. Watch this." Walking over toward the man, Tamotsu began to channel electricity through his arm and moved it slowly in front of the bar and back.

"Whoa, we've got some activity here guys!" the man said. "This thing's fluctuating wildly."

Tamotsu stopped and motioned for Rangiku to come closer. She looked at the mass of electrical equipment and other items the team brought with them. Poking through a few items, she saw something that she recognized and pulled it out.

"Look here!" Rangiku said. "They've got one of my calendars!" She held it up to show Tamotsu, flipping through a few of the pages.

"Rangiku!" Tamotsu called out. "What are you- drop the calendar!"

Confused, Rangiku dropped the calendar and it opened to one of her scanty poses. Hearing the noise the team turned to find, at least in their perspective, that the calendar had fallen on its own accord.

"Hey, did you guys see that?" one of the team members asked. The group walked over and looked at the fallen paper. "Hey, Aso. Isn't this your calendar that woman was signing?"

A younger man approached and looked a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, that's mine," he said.

Another man came over and looked down. "Why'd you want to get a calendar signed by that old tramp- OW! Something just hit me!"

Tamotsu turned just in time to see as Rangiku had slapped the man across the face full force. She stood pointing an accusing finger at the man who had spoken. "That is no way to talk about a lady," she said. "Even if you can't see me."

"Okay, I'm gonna head upstairs and start an EVP session," the man said. "You stay down here and look for any other types of readings like from before."

The man walked up the flight of stairs, Tamotsu following after giving another spark that set the electromagnetic sensor spiking again.

Upstairs Tamotsu followed the man who had spoken badly of Rangiku who, in turn, was followed by a cameraman. The man pulled out a type of recording device. Tamotsu recognized it as a newer model. It did not have a record button, but instantly recorded when anything it could sense as sound was manifest.

"I am speaking to any spirits who may be in this room," the man said. "My name is Martin Straust. I mean you no harm."

"This is rich," Tamotsu smirked.

"If there are any spirits in here, please make your presence known to me."

Rolling his eyes, Tamotsu decided to test out the recording equipment. He wanted to test whether or not his voice could actually be picked up. In theory, since sound was made by vibrations in the air, a voice could be picked up on something like a recording device even if the human ear was unable to hear it. That was what this session was meant for, after all. Electronic Voice Phenomena.

"How would you like me to make my presence known?" Tamotsu asked.

"I got a reading," Martin said. Playing it back at a higher volume, Tamotsu could hear the faint recording of his own voice. Tamotsu smiled. He could have fun with this.

"I have a piece of paper in front of me," Martin continued after listening to the voice recording. "Can you bend this piece of paper for me?"

Tamotsu's shoulders slumped and he had to hold himself back from hitting Martin on the back of the head. Was he serious? Bend a piece of paper? "You've got to be kidding me," Tamotsu muttered. Deciding to humor the man, Tamotsu gently pressed on the paper, which began to bend downward.

"That is so awesome," the cameraman said.

"Very good, Spirit," Martin said. "Can you bend it up now? Can you bend the paper up for me?"

Tamotsu grimaced. It sounded like Martin was treating him like a child! Pinching the paper, Tamotsu thought of a Kido spell. If he could use electricity modified like he did from Hado 11, why not something else? Heat perhaps?

"Imbecile," Tamotsu said as he concentrated and made the paper begin to smoke. A second later, it caught fire and Martin cried out in surprise.

"What the hell was that?" Martin cried out. "Did you guys get that on video? Tell me you got it!" He received an affirmative answer from below that it was indeed caught in the infra red camera.

Tamotsu sighed and shook his head. It was no wonder nobody took these guys seriously. They came in to investigate the existence of spirits, but when something happened they immediately forget about the spirit in the room with them and run to their camera equipment. The spirits would be offended and refuse to cooperate with them if this is how they reacted to everything.

"You're ignoring me," Tamotsu said. But Martin didn't see the reaction on his recording device. Neither did the cameraman. They were too busy trying to confirm the last phenomena that happened. Frustrated, Tamotsu kicked a can which bounced off the wall with a clatter. Martin and the cameraman turned to see the can spinning on the floor.

"We definitely have some poltergeist activity up here," Martin said.

Tamotsu let out an annoyed laugh. Poltergeist activity they called it. Well, if that's what they wanted that's what he was going to give them. Allowing electricity to flow through his arm, Tamotsu placed his hand against an electrical outlet. Immediately, the lights in the building began to flicker erratically. Pointing his finger at a chair in the middle of the room, he fired a silent Hado 1 and caused the chair to fly into the wall and break.

"There's something special for you," Tamotsu said. Frustrated, Tamotsu walked down the stairs as Martin and the cameraman began investigating the broken chair.

Walking back down the stairs, Tamotsu was a bit disappointed. This wasn't quite as much fun as he thought it would be. Being invisible and unheard just wasn't all that enjoyable. But as he turned the corner at the bottom of the stairwell, it seemed Rangiku was enjoying herself.

Sitting across from Aso, Rangiku was writing on a piece of paper and then slipped it to the investigator. He was alone, thankfully, but it still made Tamotsu uneasy. Aso laughed.

"Wow, looks like you've had a busy week then," Aso was saying. Rangiku wrote something else on the paper. "Yeah, I know the feeling."

"Rangiku, what do you think you're doing?" Tamotsu asked.

"Just having a conversation," Rangiku responded. "He likes my calendar."

Giving a long, drawn out sigh Tamotsu turned to the wall and hit his head against it in agitation.

"Don't be such a sour sport," Rangiku said, placing her hands on her hips. "Coming here was your idea. Might as well enjoy it." Writing something else on the paper, she slipped it over for Aso to see.

"Your brother, huh?" Aso said. "So what, you two just decided to come in and have some fun?"

Frustrated, Tamotsu kicked an old canister. It bounced off the far wall with a loud clang and spun on the ground. He had just sat down on the floor when he felt it. A dark energy and presence that was all too familiar. A Hollow had appeared.

Sensing the density of the energy and the dispersion… Tamotsu looked upstairs and then at Rangiku. She nodded and stood up quickly, knocking the chair over. The two of them ran upstairs, kicking up debris as they went.

Tamotsu stopped at the top of the stairs, Rangiku directly behind him. They could see the Hollow looming over the two investigators. It looked like a giant centipede with a white mask and jaws full of teeth. The Hollow lunged forward at the humans. Without thinking, Tamotsu dug into the energy inside of him and thrust his hands forward and cast a double Hado 1 spell. The humans were thrown out of the path of the Hollow, who continued forward and took a bite out of the wooden floor.

"Are you getting this?" Martin asked. "Switch to multiple spectrum. I don't want to miss anything!"

The Hollow lifted its head, debris falling from its jaws onto the floor. It lunged once again toward the humans. With Tamotsu unable to do anything, Rangiku used Shunpo and jumped into the Hollow's path, zanpakuto drawn and being used as a shield against the beast's jaws.

Tamotsu unraveled Hinohebi from his shoulder just in time to notice the whip-like tail the Hollow possessed. It swung its tail around and took aim.

"Oh, no you don't," Tamotsu said. Using his own whip, he threw it forward and it became entwined with the Hollow's tail. "Burn," he said. The whip caught fire and singed the Hollow's tail. The Hollow shrieked as Tamotsu pulled backward and removed the charred husk of what was once the monster's tail.

"I just got a temperature spike," the cameraman said. "And the bioelectrical field is picking up some strange readings."

"You idiots!" Tamotsu cried. "Get out of here!"

"Got a reading on the EVP," Martin said. Playing it back, they heard a ghostly echo of Tamotsu's voice. "Did we just get told off by that spirit? No way we're getting out of here, we've got some great stuff!"

The Hollow lunged at Tamotsu, who dodged and fired a Shakkaho blast from his spare hand. The Hollow twisted and the blast hit the wall, blasting a hole to the outside. Rangiku jumped from behind, zanpakuto held high and aimed at the Hollow's head. Seeing the approaching threat, the Hollow dodged again but Rangiku changed tactics and spun in a sideways slash.

Six of the Hollow's legs were removed with one sweep, it howled in pain and anger at the attacker. Rangiku spun again and struck the Hollow a second time, cutting more of its legs off. Using the distraction to his advantage, Tamotsu thrust his whip zanpakuto out and wrapped it around the beast.

"Burn," Tamotsu said. The entire length of the whip burst into flames and engulfed the Hollow in fire. Tamotsu pulled backward hard and the whip cut through the Hollow in half a dozen places. The Hollow howled once more and then dissolved into the air.

"Oh, wow!" Martin called out. "You did get that on the infra-red, right?"

The cameraman nodded. "Try getting the skeptics to pass that off. Full spectrum of regular, infra-red, bioelectrical readings and atmospherically alterations. This is the proof we needed."

Tamotsu wrapped his whip around his shoulder and strode up to Martin and punched him in the jaw.

"GAH!" Martin screamed. "I just got punched in the jaw!"

"The next time a spirit tells you to leave," Tamotsu started, making sure they saw the EVP recorder was getting his voice, "it would be wise to listen. You're lucky we were here to save your sorry butts. Understand?"

After playing back the statements recorded by the EVP recorder, Martin sighed. "Look, we're just trying to prove to the world that spirits exist."

"You came here with the sole thought of whether or not you could but never stopped to think if you should. You know we exist. That should be enough."

"Wait! At least tell me your name, Spirit."

"My name is not important," Tamotsu said. "But you may call me Protector." Motioning to Rangiku, the two Shinigami left the humans to speak among themselves.

RECOLLECTION

It was an hour later that Tamotsu was in his apartment. It seemed like a long time since he had been in there. Uncovering the paintings, he remembered the last time he was there was when he learned of his past. He almost missed the old days, but remembered all the confusion and loneliness. As a Reincarnate, he had friends. He had a sister. And that made it all worth the trouble.

"Thinking about going back to painting?" Rangiku asked as she entered the apartment. "You really should do some more. You've been through a lot. You should take a day off."

"There's just so much more to do, sister," Tamotsu said. "And after tonight, who's to say what the world will think? They have audio recordings of our conversations. The world will know."

"Its like you told them. People believe what they want to believe. You said so yourself not too many people take these paranormal guys seriously."

"Yeah, I know."

Rangiku giggled softly. "Just be glad this is staying in the world of the living. Could you imagine Captain's face if he ever found out what we did tonight?"

"The question you should be asking yourself," a voice from the window said, "is what would the Captain Commander think if your generous Captain allowed him to find out about what you two did."

Rangiku and Tamotsu's hearts nearly leapt into their throats. Turning around very slowly, they could feel the color drain from their faces. Finally, their eyes fell on Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya. His arms folded and eyes closed tightly. His eyebrow twitched and the vein on his forehead was throbbing.

"C- Cap- tain…" Rangiku said.

Still looking down, Hitsugaya spoke. "Do you two have any idea what I had to do to keep Hisagi from adding your little venture into his article?"

"Uhh…. Hisagi saw the whole thing?" Tamotsu asked. Both he and Rangiku could feel the nervous sweat rolling down their faces as their Captain's anger was manifest.

"Toshiyuki! MATSUMOTO!"

With that, the siblings ran in a full sprint out the door, down the stairs and onto the street below. _Just like the good old days, Tamotsu thought as he remembered all the times they had been in a similar situation back in his previous life in Seireitei._

_NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR_

_Okay, this chapter didn't quite turn out how I expected but was still fun to write. I always wanted to do something where Tamotsu decides to torment a Paranormal Investigation unit. The way the story flowed, he wound up getting more frustrated than easing some tension. As always, thanks for reading!_


	25. Masao's Intention

Masao Rin paced in the training area of Urahara's shop. He had his powers back, he knew it. He was able to perform Kido while in this body, but he had not been able to separate into his Shinigami form. And all the while, Tamotsu Toshiyuki had headed off to Soul Society for his own reasons and left him alone with that pathetic excuse of a man Don Kanonji.

Kanonji had been working hard, trying to perform the same spell over and over. He was only able to perform the Byakurai Kido spell, becoming completely exhausted after only casting it twice. Masao, even in his physical body, could cast it a hundred times and not feel the effects.

He had intended on catching Tamotsu after he came back the day before, but the Tatsuki girl pulled him out for some tournament. Now there was another Reincarnate to contend with, someone who had already managed to divide before meeting with Tamotsu. It was too aggravating, Masao decided. If he wasn't important enough then he would just have to find his own way.

Climbing up the stairs to the main level of Urahara's shop, Masao made the decision to do something. If he wouldn't get the help he wanted, he would just have to take things into his own hands. He didn't know where the Konpaku were being kept, but he did know where there were at least four. Probably not the best choices, but he was willing to risk it. He wanted his Shinigami form back.

* * *

><p>"WHAT?" Kanonji cried out as he watched the television screen. "There was a paranormal investigation team that contacted the spirits and I wasn't there?"<p>

"Although the team came together with very compelling evidence," the announcer was saying, "experts believe this to be nothing more than fancy special effects and altered digital format." Images showed various readings the team had gathered as well as some of the more compelling video.

Kanonji's face drooped at the sight of these images and Tamotsu took note of it. He had indeed gone out with the intent of pranking the investigators, but it backfired when he got bored and had to defend them against a Hollow attack. He felt bad for the man staring at the video monitor. Kanonji tried so hard to show kids not to be afraid in the face of adversity and viewed himself as a hero in their eyes. Problem was, he was just going about it in all the wrong directions.

There had to be something they could do for the man, Tamotsu decided. The main problem , like with the investigation team, is that nobody actually saw what was going on. Even those sensitive to Spiritual energy wouldn't be able to see what was going on in the video screen. Stuff like that just didn't transfer. But could it?

Stepping outside of the room while Kanonji sniffled at the video footage now being played in a loop, Tamotsu turned the corner and found Urahara sitting at a table.

"Ah, Tamotsu," Urahara said. "What's on your mind?"

"I'm just wondering about something," Tamotsu responded. "Kanonji's been working hard on getting his powers under control and I get the feeling he really wants to get out and do his show more. Problem being, nobody can actually see what's going on. Not unless they're able to see spirits and are on the set with him."

"I see," Urahara said as he sifted in his sitting position. "I've actually been working on something ever since he came in here. Its not finished yet, but it will definitely help his disposition."

Urahara was about to continue when Masao walked past the room. He stopped and looked in on the two briefly before becoming overly dramatic and defensive. "Don't blame me, Urahara! Please!" he said. But it wasn't Masao's voice coming from the man. "He came up too quickly, there wasn't anything I could do!"

"Kurodo?" Urahara asked.

Kurodo in Masao's body nodded. "He grabbed me and pulled the pill out of me and the next thing I know I was in his body and he was running out the door." Pulling the pink rabbit purse from behind him, Kurodo frowned. "He broke my strap and it'll have to be replaced."

"Kurodo, how long ago was this?" Urahara asked.

"About ten minutes I think. I'm sorry, I was too afraid to come any sooner."

"Its okay, Kurodo. Tamotsu, let's get you in Shinigami form and find where Masao went."

Tamotsu sighed in frustration. "Sheesh, do I never get any rest? Ever since I got my powers its been one thing after another. Find the Reincarnates. Fight the Hollows. This and that. That and this. Seriously, am I ever going to-"

Tamotsu was cut off as a hand came in with a blue glove and struck him on the forehead. With a flash, his spirit and body separated. Tamotsu looked to see Rangiku standing in front of him.

"Rangiku! You hit me! Again!"

"Honestly, Kiyoshi," Rangiku said. "You're starting to complain more than I do."

"All right then. Let's go find out where Masao ran off to. You want to do this the old fashioned way or you want me to find his spirit ribbon?"

Urahara looked up, his eyes narrowing. "You're able to follow spirit ribbons? That's a pretty advanced technique."

Tamotsu closed his eyes and a thousand ribbons flew up all around him. Concentrating, he made all the white ones disappear and felt around the remaining red ones. There were a few he didn't recognize, but finally he found the one belonging to Masao.

"He's at the downtown park," Tamotsu said. "I think he's trying to get back to Soul Society on his own."

"But you need a Jigokucho in order to do that," Rangiku said.

"That's correct," Urahara answered. "Also, his reiatsu is probably different than before and the Senkaimon will probably not recognize him."

"We'll need to hurry before he tries," Tamotsu said. "Rangiku, I'm going to need a lift there."

Rangiku nodded as Tamotsu jumped onto her back and she jumped away using Shunpo. Urahara stayed behind and narrowed his eyes again.

_This boy,_ Urahara thought. _He spends forty years in the Academy in his past life but was able to not only learn but perfect several Kido spells. Since his reincarnation, he has been able to easily alter Kido spells and be able to detect spirit ribbons. This is something only the most advanced of Shinigami can do. What kinds of things are hidden even from him I wonder?_

* * *

><p>Masao Rin stopped at the edge of the trees in the park. Here he was, finally in Shinigami form once again. He was ready to proceed to the Soul Society once again. And once he was there, he would confront the one who betrayed him.<p>

A whishing sound caused him to turn around. Rangiku Matsumoto and Tamotsu Toshiyuki had entered his presence.

"You did well to find me so quickly, Tamotsu," Masao said. "But as you can see I no longer need your help. I am a Shinigami once again. And I am going to Soul Society."

"You can't do that, Masao," Tamotsu said. "You can't open the Senkaimon."

Masao clenched his fist and closed his eyes tight. "Don't tell me what I can and can't do. I heard about how long it took you to graduate. I died there in the Soul Society before you graduated, but you were rumored to be the one who would forever remain in the Academy. You're worthless and I won't allow you to make my decisions for me."

Tamotsu took a step forward. In response, Masao put his hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto and continued speaking. "You may have had some talent when we sparred, but now my skills have returned completely. I was once the Third Seat of the Second Division under Captain Soi Fon. You remember what that is, right? The Punishment Division? The Stealth Corps?"

"Why are you doing this, Masao?" Tamotsu asked. "What are you looking to find? What do you wish to prove?"

"You wouldn't understand. You're too young. Too naive. I've played your game long enough. Now, we face each other. And the loser shall do whatever the winner bids."

"Stand back, Kiyoshi," Rangiku said, placing her hand on the hilt of her own zanpakuto.

"No, Rangiku," Tamotsu responded. "I can handle this."

"Kiyoshi…" Rangiku hesitated, then removed her hand from her zanpakuto and stepped back. "If you get into trouble, you know I'll intervene. I hope you know that."

Tamotsu nodded. He felt Hinohebi loosen around his shoulder, then go slack and fall on the ground. It was clear that Masao meant business. Drawing his own zanpakuto, Masao set it in front of him. The two stared at one another for a long moment. Masao was tense, and Tamotsu was loose but focused.

It happened in a flash as Masao disappeared briefly then reappeared in the air above Tamotsu, sword drawn high. Throwing his whip up, Tamotsu blocked the blow with a shower of spark raining down from the impact. Although his zanpakuto was a whip, loose and flexible, it was as strong as any bladed weapon.

Tamotsu pulled back, the blade at the end of his whip coming within inches of Masao's hand. Masao jumped back and stood in the air. "What's the matter, Kiyoshi?" Masao asked. "Still can't stand in the air?"

Tamotsu's eyes narrowed. "The only one who calls me Kiyoshi… is my sister!" Throwing his hand into the air, Tamotsu pulled suddenly toward himself. "Hado 2. Hiku!"

Masao found himself being pulled down to the ground, almost as if he had been grabbed by an unseen hand and yanked from his position in the air. Unable to react quickly, he landed hard on the ground as dirt plumed from his impact.

Standing up shakily, Masao coughed from the impact and from breathing in dust. "Seems I've underestimated you," he said. Raising his zanpakuto, Masao charged and swung at Tamotsu who blocked with the whip and then used it to trip Masao.

Grunting from the impact, Masao scowled and stood once again.

"Why are you doing this?" Tamotsu asked. "Did you just become impatient or is this about something else?" He didn't dare mention that he had asked Captain Soi Fon directly about what happened. He could only guess about the true motives, but he wanted to find an alternative means of dealing with Masao.

"I won't answer your questions!" Masao cried, hand clenching the hilt of his zanpakuto. "If you intend to fight using your Shikai then I shall do the same!"

Tamotsu readied himself. There was no telling what type of zanpakuto a former Second Division member would have.

Masao placed his zanpakuto in front of him, the blade level with the ground and placed his other hand on the back of the blade. "Slice, Ishikiri!" Nothing happened. "Huh? Ishikiri?"

Tamotsu and Rangiku took a chance and looked at each other. Not sure what to think, they merely shrugged.

_Hinohebi_, Tamotsu thought. _What's going on?_

_Ishikiri is not the name of his zanpakuto_, Hinohebi responded in Tamotsu's mind. _Ishikiri did not choose to stay with him after his death in Soul Society._

Tamotsu approached Masao, hand still ready to fend off an attack but made no threatening gestures. Masao continued to shake his zanpakuto and yelled at it further.

"Ishikiri! Come out!"

"That is not the name of your zanpakuto," Tamotsu said.

"But… but Ishikiri was my zanpakuto in Soul Society. I remember. It was so sharp it could cut through stone. Why does it not answer?"

"Because," Tamotsu responded. "He did not choose to stay with you after your death. The zanpakuto you now wield has a different name. A different ability. And you may have made it angry by assuming its name to be something else."

Masao looked as if he had been stabbed in the heart. His knees became weak and he fell to the ground. "My zanpakuto… chose not to stay with me? But you were able to keep yours. Naomi and Takeo as well. Why would my own choose not to stay with me?"

"When I first regained my powers, the first thing I asked was if my own zanpakuto, Hinohebi, was with me. But that's not important right now, Masao. Come back with us. We'll forget about this little incident. You got your powers back. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

Masao nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes, I suppose you're right." Standing up, he looked at his zanpakuto. "I am sorry, zanpakuto. I should not have assumed."

Rather than jumping into the air and using Shunpo to go back, Masao sheathed his zanpakuto and began to slowly walk back to Urahara's shop. Rangiku and Tamotsu watched and Hinohebi materialized behind them.

"You know what his real plans are, don't you Master?" Hinohebi asked.

"I know," Tamotsu responded. "But I hope to free his heart from these feelings of bitterness. I just hope I can help him before he tries again."

"What are you two talking about?" Rangiku asked.

"Masao Rin was once part of Second Division under Captain Soi Fon," Tamotsu answered. "I don't know all the details, but apparently he isn't happy with her on the conditions surrounding his death there. I think he wants to do her harm. She knows about this. I spoke with her last time I was in Soul Society."

"I see," Rangiku said. "Do you think he can change?"

"We can only hope."

* * *

><p>NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR<p>

Okay, cutting it a bit short I know. Just keep end up getting good stopping points in the chapters and don't want to drag it out and end it with a different emotion than what was built up to. A couple of things worthy of mention in this chapter. First of all, my development of Hado #2. I figured it was only fitting to have the second Hado spell be opposite of the first one. _Hiku_ translates to "pull" as opposed to Hado 1 which is "Push."

Second note is the name of Masao's former zanpakuto. _Ishikiri_ was a sword forged by a legendary sword smith Kanemitsu and translates to "stone cutter."


	26. Change in the Air

Kisuke Urahara sat alone in one of the rooms at his shop. His Soul Phone was against his ear, speaking with the Research and Development Bureau.

"I understand the situation," Urahara was saying. "I just don't think anyone on this end will be able to assist. We've got our own circumstances over here that need attention. These Reincarnates may hold the key for the future of Soul Society."

Masao Rin passed by at that time, stopping to listen in on the conversation. He had walked the entire way back and regained his body from Kurodo, who was still upset about having his plush animal body damaged. Masao had wanted to get back to Soul Society, but the revelation that he did not possess his original zanpakuto halted his plans. He was wondering what to do next when he happened across Urahara's conversation. He could only hear one side, but it seemed to be interesting enough.

"Toshiyuki does seem to be the most powerful of them," Urahara continued. "I've monitored his progress since he first came here and seems to be progressing exponentially. No, I haven't sensed anything unusual about his reiatsu other than it seems to be getting stronger each day. And with your current situation, I believe it would be wise to keep Naomi Kanagawa in the dark. She may have mixed feelings about what's happening there, given the fact that she remembers her past life as a Hollow."

Masao caught himself before he gasped. Naomi was a Hollow? The shy little girl was once an enemy of Soul Society? But maybe, just maybe, this could be the leverage he needs for others to follow his plan. Listening further, he learned that Tamotsu Toshiyuki spent forty years in the academy and was unable to perform basic fighting skills. On top of that, his power was suppressed by a seal that had broken twice with extreme consequences and ended up killing him in the end.

Deciding that he had learned enough, Masao left. Unknown to him, Urahara had intentionally mentioned these particular items. Although Masao would have gone unnoticed while spying on a human, he forgot that Kisuke Urahara was still a Shinigami and would be able to sense his reiatsu from outside the door.

It was a calculated risk from Urahara's standpoint. Eventually the word would get out about the pasts of these two Reincarnates. And there would have to be unity. This was a test, and one he hoped that all the Reincarnates would learn. Also, it would serve to show that Tamotsu Toshiyuki would be able and willing to be their leader.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Don Kanonji was sitting on the front porch of Urahara's shop. He was staring at the ground, his shoulders slumped. Tamotsu approached from behind and sat down next to the man.<p>

"What's going on, Kanonji?" Tamotsu asked.

Kanonji sighed, his gaze not moving. "I just received a call from my producer," he said. "He said that my show will be cancelled due to lack of interest. I have done all that I can to teach the children not to be afraid in the face of danger, and now they have no hero to look up to."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Tamotsu responded. "Is there anything that can be done?"

"If only there were someone else who would produce the show for me. So I can travel and vanquish the bad spirits. To teach the children lessons on courage. But now, after all the work I put into learning your technique, it all seems to be for nothing."

Tamotsu sighed. For all the courage he sought to teach others, he sure didn't have enough of it to face himself in times of trouble. It was then that Kanonji began to cry loudly.

"Why? Why after all I do I end up with nothing? My lessons were for nothing! I don't have anything left! Why? Why? Why?"

Standing up, Tamotsu approached Kanonji's front. "Sorry about this," he said. As Kanonji looked up into Tamotsu's eyes, he was greeted with a strong slap across his face by Tamotsu's hand. "Are you stupid or something? You teach children about courage and not to run away in the face of affliction and failure yet here you are crying like a little baby in the face of your own misfortune!"

Kanonji looked up, placing a hand on the swelling cheek on his face. "Boy…"

"Life's full of conflict. Not all bad spirits and demons are the ones you can simply banish and be done with. If you're so intent on trying to teach people to face their fears and live it up in the face of adversity then why don't you do it yourself? You're giving up, and that's the one thing you're always telling people not to do."

Kanonji sighed, then chuckled softly. "You're right, boy," he said. Standing up and clenching a fist, Kanonji began shouting. "Don Kanonji, the charismatic spiritualist of the new millennium, shall not falter in the face of this trial! I just have one question for you!"

"Anything."

"What do I do next?"

Tamotsu face palmed himself then brought his hand down slowly, the irritation plain to see on his face.

"I don't have a producer anymore so how can my show get put on the air? My camera crew has already found other jobs so I don't have anything to work with."

It was then that Urahara walked into the doorway of the shop. "I might be able to help out with that," he said. "But there are going to be a few changes. Are you okay with that?"

Kanonji's expression was shocked for a moment, then switched to a serious measure as he nodded. "If it means I will be able to continue to be a hero, then I will accept whatever you have for me."

Urahara smiled. "Excellent! If you'll follow me, I have a few things I would like to show you."

* * *

><p>Masao paced back and forth in his room. <em>So,<em> he was thinking. _That cute little girl was once a Hollow. And the one that's in charge of us was once one of the most incapable of Shinigami. This could be exactly what I need._

Remembering back to when he tried to enter Soul Society, Masao realized how foolish an attempt it was. There was no guarantee that his old zanpakuto would have stayed with him, he should have realized that. Also, without a Jigokucho there was no guarantee that he would have even been able to open a Senkaimon. There had to be more planning involved. And this new revelation was just what he needed.

Although his previous attempt to get back to Soul Society had placed him on a type of probation with Urahara, especially since he had willingly used the Mod Soul Kurodo without permission, he was confined to the shop for the time being. But that didn't mean he was helpless. The training area was part of the shop and there were all types of things to be done.

Patience had never been one of Masao's strong points, but at this time it seemed necessary in order for his plans to be realized. He couldn't approach Tamotsu or Naomi, but there was still one other Reincarnate that would be perfect for his purposes.

* * *

><p>Rangiku and Tamotsu stood in their Shinigami forms in the training area. After Kanonji had been taken by Urahara to show off some items to help the self-proclaimed hero remain in the public eye, Rangiku had decided that now was the time for her brother to learn how to stand in the air.<p>

It wasn't as if it were too terribly difficult. Once the basics were mastered it could be done without thinking. The problem from before was the seal that had been placed on Tamotsu while in his past life in Soul Society. It greatly inhibited his ability to control the reiatsu outside of his own body. With Kido, however, he was able to use the reiatsu within himself. Because that was so vast, it came surprisingly easy for him.

There were two occasions where Tamotsu did actually stand in the air, but it was while he was in his Bankai state. The power overflowing from him, engulfing his body in blue fire. In that state, there was no need to concentrate. The reiatsu itself would have lifted him up.

Rangiku shook her head. It was true that while in that form her brother was extremely powerful, but the cost was too great. The first time he had used Bankai caused him to go into a coma for three weeks, the second time had killed him.

_No,_ Rangiku thought to herself. _That's in the past now. Kiyoshi has full control. That will never happen again to him._

"Are you ready, sister?" Tamotsu asked.

"Huh? Oh, yes," Rangiku said. "I'm probably not the best teacher, but I'll try explaining how I do it."

Tamotsu readied himself. He knew that Rangiku would rather be doing other things, but he trusted her to put it into the simplest terms.

"Well, I'm not sure exactly how everyone else does it, but what I do is form a plane of reishi that I stand on. Its not really standing in the air, but its close enough."

"So this would deal with manipulating external reishi then?"

"I suppose. Kido spells work with the reiatsu within yourself, this could be thought of as another variation of Kido."

"That seems simple enough," Tamotsu said. Placing his hands in front of him, he concentrated. Opening his mind, he could feel the reishi surrounding him. It was stronger in this training area that Urahara had constructed, so it would be much easier than in the outside.

Concentrating, he worked on condensing the reishi in his mind. Rather than working directly with making a plane to step on, Tamotsu created an invisible wall in front of him. Placing his hand against it, he could feel it. Walking to his right, he moved while placing his hands in front and touching the wall. An outsider could have confused this with the invisible wall mime gag.

"Yeah, I can do this," Tamotsu said after trying to push the wall of reishi and found it to be quite firm.

"Just remember one thing," Rangiku said. "You have to concentrate on it while you're first starting out. It'll become second nature once you get the hang of it, but if you lose concentration this early on it'll disappear on its own."

Tamotsu nodded. He concentrated on making a plane of reishi one foot above the ground and then took a step up. It held. Smiling, Tamotsu jumped up and at the height of his jump made another plane of reishi. Testing it, he jumped up and down and laughed.

"This is so cool," Tamotsu said. Taking a few steps, he reduced the size of the reishi plates to just bigger than his feet. Taking a gamble, he performed a cartwheel in the air and remained grounded on the plate of reishi.

"Wow, you got the hang of it really quickly," Rangiku commented as Tamotsu jumped down to the ground. "I'm surprised you didn't come up with that on your own sooner."

"I've had a lot to deal with," Tamotsu replied.

"So you keep saying. I know. How about we try Shunpo next. I'm sure you'll be able to get that one as well."

"Ready."

"For this one, again, differs from one Shinigami to another. There are different ways of performing Shunpo, but the effect is all the same. The way easiest for you would probably be by combining a run with Hado #1, focusing it through your feet."

In demonstration, Rangiku performed a Shunpo step on top of a rock and back again. Tamotsu noticed that before landing, she was a couple of inches above the ground and was landing as if she had jumped. _Using a jump, combined with Sho in order to increase its speed_, Tamotsu thought.

"Okay, that sounds easy enough," Tamotsu said. Readying himself, he set his sights on a target and crouched down. After a moment, he fired off the Kido spell through his feet at the same time as he jumped. The result, however, was not the same.

Rather than performing a Shunpo technique, the effect appeared closer to the likeness of Tamotsu being shot out of a canon. The ground under his feet exploded from the force and the Kido-enhanced jump sent him flying through the air.

Arms flailing, Tamotsu screamed as he approached his target rock. Bracing himself, he quickly turned around and decided to stop using the reishi technique he had just learned. Forming a solid mass below him, he dug in his hands and feet to stop himself. Stopping just shy of the giant rock, Tamotsu breathed a sigh of relief as he lie on his stomach, suspended three feet above the air.

When he sighed, however, his concentration lapsed for a moment and the reishi dissipated. Tamotsu had time for little more than a yelp as he fell and planted his face into the ground. Rangiku could only stare.

"Hmm… Maybe we should stop there for today before you hurt yourself any more," she said.

* * *

><p>Takeo was in his room reading when Masao entered. Not being able to speak, Takeo placed his book down and looked expectantly at Masao for the reason of his arrival.<p>

"Hi," Masao said. "Takeo, isn't it?"

Takeo nodded affirmatively and gestured, indicating he wanted to know why Masao had come.

"I'm sorry, I don't know too much about you but I think since we'll be together we probably should. I came here on a forced vacation from my job. You know the deal. Seeing things and remembering things you can't explain. How about you? What did you do before coming here?"

Takeo moved his arms in a few basic blocks and strikes.

"Ah. Karate, was it? You don't really talk much, do you?"

Takeo looked away at that comment, unknowingly touching his throat. In his regular body, there was nothing to signify that he couldn't speak. It was only while in his Shinigami form that the two scars across his throat were visible.

"I see. You can't speak. If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"

Takeo looked down, then outlined a circle on his chest using his finger. The message was clear. _A Hollow did this to me_, he was saying.

"A Hollow, huh? Yeah. Completely evil, wouldn't you agree? They all deserve to be wiped out."

Takeo clenched his fists, trying not to show the emotion building up. It was more than him losing his ability to speak that hurt him. What hurt even more was the image of the woman he loved flying through the air and having her chain of fate severed while he was lying on the ground.

"Yeah, I remember I was killed by a Hollow in my past life. Never an easy thing. The death. The pain and memories."

Takeo shot a venomous glare at Masao. _You push too far,_ he was thinking.

"Well, we should probably get to know the others better as well." Masao stood to leave, then stopped. "Although, I couldn't help but overhear some information from Mr. Urahara. I'm sure you'll find it interesting what he had to say about one of our fellow Reincarnates."

* * *

><p>Tatsuki Arisawa walked down the alley. The sun had recently set, the nighttime lights illuminating the way before her. She had been there countless times before on her way home from her Dojo. Sensei Hajime seemed very generous lately and often spoke of Tamotsu. She had suspicions but didn't dare ask her Sensei what was directly on her mind. She decided that when he is ready he will tell her. But she could already guess that he was a man like Tamotsu. A Shinigami in another life. But it wasn't her position to pry.<p>

Tatsuki's own spiritual powers had grown slowly but steadily since she had contact with others that shared her abilities. Though only human, she could see spiritual beings as clearly as normal people. She mostly ignored them, not being able to do anything to aid them in their desire to pass on to the next life. That was the job of the Shinigami. Shinigami like Ichigo and Tamotsu.

Turning a corner onto a main street, Tatsuki felt a dark presence approaching. She knew what it was. A Hollow is the name the Shinigami had given them. She had fought them several times before, but each time seemed different. She didn't know where the spirits came from, but there seemed to be as many different types as there were people in the world.

Not knowing whether to face this beast or leave it be, Tatsuki continued on her path undeterred. After all, it wasn't her responsibility to deal with these dark spirits. But as a martial artist she was honor bound to assist anyone that was in need of protecting.

She didn't have to decide, as she sensed the Hollow approach her quickly. Jumping out of the way, she managed to dodge the beasts head as it lunged. Turning around to face the beast for the first time since she sensed it, she found it to have a very long body and a flap under the head. It seemed like it was a gigantic cobra snake with a hole where the chest would be.

"So, you can see me human?" the Hollow asked. "No wonder you smelled so tasty. Not the most delicious soul in the area, but you will make a fine appetizer."

The Hollow lunged and Tatsuki dodged again. The Hollow only turned to look at her, whipping its tail around and striking Tatsuki in the leg.

Landing hard on her side, Tatsuki looked into the face of the beast as it began coiling around her. "Why don't you just go back to wherever it is that you came from?" she asked.

"I could answer your question, but I learned long ago that it is unwise to play with your food!" The Hollow's coils suddenly tightened and Tatsuki found herself unable to move. Lunging in for the final strike, there was a sudden blur and the beast's head was knocked back and its coils slackened as the rest of the body flew away.

Tatsuki turned to see Don Kanonji, arm still behind his body from the long backhanded swing that he had just issued to the Hollow. "Kanonji!" Tatsuki cried. "You're late! Big shot hero, you should've been here from the beginning!"

"No, girl," Kanonji said. "I am not late. A hero arrives exactly when he is needed."

Tatsuki was taken back. Was this the same man? His clothing was flamboyant as always, but his demeanor was so different. He was more confident and even competent.

"The premier spiritualist of the new millennium is back!" Kanonji called out. "With my new team of elite spirit hunters, we are ready to banish the bad spirits like never before!"

Tatsuki sighed. Maybe he didn't change all that much after all.

Motioning to his camera crew, Kanonji continued speaking. "Armed with the latest in camera equipment and special Spirit Lenses, everyone at home can now see the spirits I encounter! All thanks to my new producer, Mr. Kisuke Urahara!"

"That explains it then," Tatsuki said.

"Hey, Kanonji," someone cried out from behind the cameras. "Remember what I taught you. Don't get distracted!"

"Oh, sure thing," Kanonji responded. Tatsuki turned to see that the voice belonged to Tamotsu. Donned in his Shinigami form, it was clear that there had been much interaction between the two of them.

Looking back to Kanonji, Tatsuki was surprised to see him fighting with actual skill. The Hollow lunged, to which Kanonji dodged and struck with his Spirit Stick. The blow landed squarely behind the beast's head. A small crowd had begun gathering around the spectacle. Though they could not see the Hollow as Kanonji was fighting it, video monitors showed live feed.

"Hey, check it out!" someone in the crowd cried. Looking at the monitor and then back at the fighting Kanonji, the spectators smiled.

"Awesome!" someone else called out. "Real-time CG rendering. Now _this_ is the kind of show I've been waiting for!"

The Hollow lunged again, to which Kanonji dodged by jumping and performing a back hand spring. Another blow to the head caused the Hollow to falter momentarily.

"Kanonji!" Tamotsu shouted. "Now's your chance! Finish it!"

Kanonji nodded and readied his hand. "Kanonji's special super finishing move," he said. "Byakurai!" Throwing his hand out and aiming with his finger, a bolt of blue energy erupted and struck the Hollow just above the hole in its chest. The Hollow screamed, then dissolved into nothing. "Mission… complete!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Kanonji turned to Tamotsu, who nodded. Kanonji smiled and threw his arms in an X over his chest and burst out in his famous laughter. The entire crowd mimicked him.

His mission with Don Kanonji over, Tamotsu smiled and turned away. He had taught the hero valuable lessons, and now it was his turn to teach those lessons to his viewers. Disappearing into the shadows, Tamotsu left Kanonji to his fans. Although not everyone believed what he was fighting every day was real, the lessons he taught them were. And, in the end, that was what was important.

Turning another corner, Tamotsu saw Lucky standing under a street lamp in his body. "Thanks for watching out for my body, Lucky," Tamotsu said.

"Any time at all," Lucky responded. "Though I do admit I much prefer this as opposed to the stuffed toy. But I do believe I am in no position to argue since this liberty is not offered to all Mod Souls."

Stepping into his body, there was a flash of blue light and Tamotsu spit out the green pill which held Lucky's spirit. Pulling the stuffed owl from a small bag, he immediately placed the pill inside the doll's mouth. Blinking twice, the doll came to life.

"This body isn't too bad I suppose," Lucky commented as he jumped onto Tamotsu's shoulder.

"Wait right there," a voice called out from the shadows. Tamotsu stopped and turned around as a man and a woman, both dressed in dark coats and hats, emerged from the darkness into the light.

"We need to speak with you for a moment," the man said. "And don't try running. We're with a special unit of law enforcement."

"Officers, please," Tamotsu said. "I assure you I haven't done anything wrong. Then again, I guess that's what you hear from everyone."

"This isn't about anything you've done," the woman said. "Its about who you are. About _what_ you are."

"I'm not sure I follow," Tamotsu said, trying to play innocent.

"Perhaps you're getting the wrong impression," the man said. As if by some unseen signal, the two of them simultaneously removed their hats. The man had brown hair, the woman red hair which was pulled back.

"We saw what happened," the woman said. "And we've been searching for you. We don't know why, but we feel you're the person we both need to see. The one who can help us."

"We're like you," the man said. "We remember a past life. We're Shinigami reincarnated."

END OF PART II

* * *

><p>NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR<p>

As some of you have probably noticed, I've taken to break lines rather than scene titles. Basically it was just getting too difficult for me to keep coming up with stuff. Also, as stated, this is the end of Part II of the story. Part III will deal with division among the ranks as the Reincarnates decide who they are going to follow. Again, I would like to thank all of my readers. Your comments are always welcome.


	27. Where the Heart Lies

PART III

Union & Division

Takeo Saegusa paced in his room. Masao Rin had just informed him of what Kisuke Urahara had been talking about on the phone with Soul Society. It seemed that Tamotsu, whom he had fought before, was not all that he appeared to be. Ranked among the weakest of Shinigami during his past life, yet managing to squeeze himself into a Third Seat position within his first week after graduating from being held back and repeating the courses six times.

What was more, Naomi remembered a past life as a Hollow. The small girl who slept only a few rooms away had killed several Shinigami, and remembers each one of them. His blood burned at the thought, remembering how a Hollow had attacked the woman he loved. He remembered watching as her chain of fate was severed from her body, her spirit running into the night screaming in terror.

Takeo tried to put this behind him, but Masao's words sunk too deep. He was angry, and the more he thought about it the more upset he became. He wouldn't go to Urahara to confirm this, it was too unsettling. But what reason would Masao have for saying something untrue? Surely there was a reason Urahara was keeping this information from them, but why?

Unable to calm himself, Takeo pulled out a small green pill from its dispenser and swallowed it. With a flash of light, he separated into his Shinigami form. He would work on training. Training always gave a target for his emotions. A means of calming himself. And right now, he needed a lot of calming.

Naomi Kanagawa entered the shop followed by Rangiku. Urahara, near the back, smiled when he saw them. Naomi was wearing a new blouse. Black, of course, with frills on the sleeves.

"Ah, Naomi," Urahara said. "What a cute outfit you're wearing."

Naomi's gaze suddenly went stern. "Elegant!" she shouted. "Not cute! Elegant!"

Urahara was taken back. He had never expected the girl to actually yell at anyone. "Oh, I'm so sorry," he responded, waving his hands as if to shrug off a mistake. "What I meant to say was that you look quite elegant in that new blouse of yours."

Naomi's face reverted back to the cheerful smile as she half dance, half skipped back to her room while carrying a small bag in her hand. Rangiku approached Urahara.

"She's very particular about that," Rangiku said. "She insists on being called elegant and never cute. I don't really know what the difference is."

"Well, it's a small detail. In any case, I did need to speak with you about something. There seems to be some differences in opinion among our new guests."

Rangiku looked away. "I've noticed," she said. "I don't know what exactly it is, but Masao seems to greatly resent Tamotsu and other Shinigami. He's not focused as he should be."

"Exactly. And you should also be aware that last night Tamotsu returned with two new proposed Reincarnates. Goro Ojima and Ayame Yamaguchi. Partners in a special investigational police force. I don't know for sure, but Masao may try to get to them through their mutual professions."

"Were you able to confirm they are Reincarnates?"

Urahara nodded slowly. "It would seem both of them are former members of the Twelfth Division and served under Mayuri Kurotsuchi."

* * *

><p>Tamotsu walked alongside Tatsuki as they wandered through the streets of Karakura Town. He had just dropped off another set of paintings to the shop, something he had almost forgotten about because of the incidents of the past few days. His paintings were still selling, but it was not an easy task to track down who had bought them or why.<p>

There were some who would have bought his paintings of Seireitei and the Captains of the Gotei Thirteen because they appreciated the artistic quality to the work. But occasionally, he would find a Reincarnate who had recognized something within the painting, and their memories were awakened.

His paintings always sold and, at times, he was tempted to raise the price of such paintings. The problem with that would be that those who needed the paintings wouldn't be able to afford them. He knew all too well what it was like to regain the memories of a past life and he doubted that any of the others would have the help and support he himself was lucky enough to enjoy. He could ask direct questions on who he was and where he came from. The others, however, would be at a complete loss. They may even be declared insane by some standards.

Tamotsu now made a habit of keeping his senses open to those around him with high spiritual energy. By his calculations, having had more than twenty of his paintings sold, at least half of them would possibly be Reincarnates. But there was no way to be sure.

"You seem kind of distant, Tamotsu," Tatsuki said.

"Sorry," Tamotsu said. "Just been thinking of a lot of things that have been going on. Just a couple of weeks and the life I once knew was gone."

"I know the feeling. It was the same way when my powers awakened."

The two passed a shop that was displaying several televisions. An article was playing of the recently aired episode starring spiritualist Don Kanonji, showing clips of him fighting the Hollow.

"He seems to be doing well for himself now," Tatsuki commented. "I'm assuming he has you to thank for training him?"

Tamotsu smiled. "Yeah, it took some work but at least now he should have a better chance of playing the hero for people. Thanks to Urahara, he has a new camera crew made up of spare mod souls. Don't tell him, but they're specially made for him and his show. No pay required and no provisions are necessary. Better for traveling."

Tatsuki smiled. She had heard the term _mod soul_ before, the only one she knew of was the perverted Kon. But, she assumed, there had to be several different types of these mod souls. It seemed that Kanonji had it made. All he had to do was be charismatic on television just like he always was.

The television screen changed to advertise a new type of game that was available at the arcade. As if on cue, Hinohebi materialized and jumped on Tamotsu from behind.

"Oh, wow!" Hinohebi cried out excitedly. "I've got to go try that out. Can I go, Tamotsu? Huh? Can I?"

Annoyed, Tamotsu pulled out the black balloon-type object that was Hinohebi's portable gigai. Smiling, Hinohebi took it from him and ran around a corner. A moment later, she ran out again and was visible to everyone.

Tamotsu looked at the materialized form of his zanpakuto in a gigai, noticing the red shirt and black leather pants with a vest to match. "You weren't wearing those last time you wore your gigai," Tamotsu commented.

"Oh, these? I picked them up when I went out with Orihime and the others. Urahara said I can change clothes with this so I can be in a different outfit each time I wear the gigai."

Tamotsu sighed. _She's a part of me, _he kept repeating to himself. _She's a part of me. She's a part of me._ It didn't seem to matter just how many times he repeated it to himself. A zanpakuto was supposed to be a part of their wielder. He just couldn't bring himself to believe that a part of him was so giddy.

"I'm gonna go now, okay?" Hinohebi said as she started running.

"Hey, wait!" Tamotsu called out. "You don't have any money!"

"Urahara gave some to me!"

"Okay, but if I need you I'm coming after you! No excuses!"

"No problem!" Hinohebi hollered as she waved and rounded a corner.

Tamotsu sighed. Just what was it with her? She acted like a little sister. His face went solemn as he then remembered just how much he relied on her in battle. He hardly had to call out the name of an attack to make it more effective. Both of them registered what the other was thinking without words, and she had stayed with him during the time when he was not a Shinigami. When his powers returned, she was the first one he thought of.

"Tamotsu, you're drifting again," Tatsuki said.

"Sorry, Tatsuki," Tamotsu said. "Hard to keep my thoughts straight." Passing through the next street, Tamotsu stopped and noticed they were standing in front of his favorite restaurant. Immediately, he noticed just how hungry he was. He had skipped his morning meal and it was getting into the afternoon. "Hey, Tatsuki, you hungry?"

"Huh? At this place?"

"Yeah! They serve the best coconut shrimp! Come on, just as friends. I'll pay."

"Well, okay I suppose," Tatsuki said. It was clear Tamotsu had his mind set on food and not her. They were friends, that was all.

* * *

><p>Hinohebi entered the arcade about two blocks from where the television shop was. She had a small amount of money, just enough for a few games. Being a zanpakuto spirit, she didn't need to eat and the type of portable gigai she was in had been modified to be more rigid than Urahara's earlier model.<p>

Looking around, she saw immediately that the DDR station was already being used. Several of the other games she wanted to play were also in use. Disappointed, she wandered the arcade to see if there were any other things she could have fun with. She didn't worry about Tamotsu. He would be fine without her in the case of a Hollow attack. He was getting stronger all the time. And in the back of her mind she was worried. She had done some exploring in Tamotsu's inner world during their time apart and it seemed that there was so much more to it. So many paths and unknown areas. There was something else out there, she knew, but couldn't place exactly what it was.

Shaking her head, she removed the thoughts. She was there to have fun. Purchasing a few tokens, Hinohebi went to one of the throwing games. The object seemed to knock down as many of the targets as you could with only a limited number of balls.

Picking up the first ball, she threw it and struck the side of the target, which flopped like a loose canvas and returned to its normal position.

"Huh?" Hinohebi said, surprised. She had hit the target, but it didn't work. Throwing another ball, this one hitting the center dead on, the target fell. Throwing another ball, she hit the side of another target, which flopped and returned to its normal position.

"Hey, this game is rigged," she said.

"That's the way of it," a voice said behind her. "They make it look like its going to be easy, but then throw something in to make it more difficult. Then the user gets frustrated at defeat and puts more coins in. You're great at DDR, but you've got a lot to learn about games of chance it seems."

Turning around, Hinohebi saw that the man behind her was Makko Tsubuya. "Makko!" she said excitedly.

"Hello, Hinohebi," Makko said. "Once you're done here, how about we do a game that is more skill than this."

Smiling, Hinohebi exhausted the rest of the balls and followed Makko to an air hockey table.

"Have you ever played this before?" Makko asked. Hinohebi shook her head. "We each try to get the puck into the other person's goal." Placing four of his tokens into the machine, the air current turned on and the puck came out on Makko's side. Setting on the current of air, Makko demonstrated how it seemed to glide.

Hinohebi took her circular paddle and they sent the puck back and forth a couple of times, each time increasing the power of their strikes. Soon, they were attacking the puck fiercely. Back and forth, bouncing it off the sides of the table. It was Makko who scored the first goal.

"First point goes to me," Makko said as the overhead scoreboard changed from zero to one. "Game is five points. First one there wins."

Hinohebi smiled as she placed the puck on the air current once again and hit it. She enjoyed this type of game. It was more involved and required more skill. She enjoyed having a partner. Or opponent, depending on how one looked at it.

Hitting the puck at an angle, Hinohebi saw that her aim was good and it bounced off the wall and into Makko's goal. Her scoreboard altered, tying the game early on. Makko only smiled as he pulled the puck you.

"You learn quickly," Makko said. Hinohebi smiled and they continued their match.

* * *

><p>Naomi Kanagawa examined herself in the mirror. She really liked this new blouse that Rangiku had gotten for her. She preferred the black, matching her hair and makeup. Rangiku wanted her to get the red or the pink one, insisting it would look just as good with the black pants that Naomi was wearing.<p>

"You really should look into some other colors," a voice said behind Naomi. "A young girl like yourself shouldn't stick with just a single fashion sense."

Naomi turned around to find the cat form of Yoruichi sitting on her bed.

"Hi, kitty," Naomi said, smiling.

"Naomi, you know full well my name is Yoruichi. Former Captain of the Second Division. I'm not in this form now for your own pleasure. Its because I need you to listen to me."

Naomi nodded and knelt down in front of the bed so that Yoruichi was looking down at her. She didn't say anything, but she gave an expression that Yoruichi had her full attention.

"First of all," Yoruichi explained, "Kisuke Urahara has found one of the artificial souls that will surely suit your personality while in your Shinigami form."

Naomi looked at the dispenser, smiling when she saw that it was a skull with a bowtie and a top had.

"Its name is Edward, but Urahara has modified it with a more feminine personality. On that note, about you being a Reincarnate Shinigami. We will not force you to choose if you want to follow this path in your life, but if you decide then you must practice as a Shinigami. It has been several years and with your display it would appear that you are mainly defensive in your technique. I would like for you to practice in the training area during your spare time."

Naomi looked at the Edward dispenser and presses the head. A green pill came out and she swallowed it. With a flash of light, she was separated from her body and into her Shinigami form. After a brief moment, her body began to move on its own. First looking around the room and then at the body the replacement soul now occupied.

"This is a cute outfit," the Edward mod soul said in a surprisingly feminine voice.

Naomi's face turned bright red. "Not cute!" she shouted. "Elegant!"

Edward looked at Naomi, eyes closed and smiling while giving a salute. "Yes Sir, boss ma'am!"

"Why don't you go on down and pratice a bit," Yoruichi said. "I'll check on you in a bit."

Edward looked at Yoruichi and smiled broadly. "Wow! A talking cat!" Lunging toward Yoruichi, Edward barely missed as Yoruichi jumped out of the way.

"Were you not listening to anything when I was- Oh, forget it!" Yoruichi dodged as Edward lunged again and ran chasing the black cat out of the room.

Naomi could only giggle at the display. "Silly kitty," she said quietly.

* * *

><p>Tamotsu and Tatsuki sat at their table. Their food had been served, and Tamotsu was savoring every type of shrimp that was placed before him. "I hope you don't get the wrong idea about this, Tatsuki," he said. "Its not like I'm taking you out on a date or anything. Purely a gesture of our friendship." Another plate of seafood was placed in front of Tamotsu, who began digging in, humming happily as he ate.<p>

"I'm thinking this is more for your benefit," Tatsuki said. "You just didn't want to be seen eating all this by yourself."

"Nonsense. I'm not trying to hog it all for myself. Are you going to eat that?"

Tatsuki smirked at the irony of his remark. He certainly was an interesting character, she decided. She had seen him serious, yet that didn't seem to be the same person sitting across from her. Stuffing his face with shrimp and crab cakes, it seemed like he could eat forever.

Naomi climbed down the long ladder leading to the training area under Urahara's shop. She could sense Takeo was down there as well. She hadn't spent much time with anyone other than Tamotsu and Rangiku and a training session with Takeo would help her since she was normally not one for words.

Entering a large clearing, she could see Takeo practicing his form against several targets. His double-bladed sword struck everything spot-on as he twirled as if it were a well rehearsed dance.

As if he suddenly sensed her presence, Takeo stopped and looked over his shoulder. He grimaced at the sight of her and continued on his own. Feeling as if she had done something wrong, Naomi approached and smiled at him the next time he looked her way. But there was something wrong with the way he looked at her. She felt cold. There was only one emotion she could read from his eyes. She didn't know why but when he looked at her and touched the scars on his neck, she could only feel anger from him.

* * *

><p>Tamotsu finished another plate and stretched his arms. It had been quite some time since he was able to enjoy a full meal with any of his friends. Sipping from his glass of lemonade, he sat back and allowed the food to settle.<p>

"So you're finally finished?" Tatsuki asked. The tone was slightly mocking, but it was received in good humor.

"Oh, yeah," Tamotsu responded. "Maybe next time I'll have to tackle their seafood challenge."

"I'm sure you'll break the record for that. So what next?"

Tamotsu sat back and allowed his mind to wander. He thought of how his life had never been this good before he regained his memories. He had friends and family now. He even considered the other Reincarnates to be his family. Not that he would admit it, but the fact remained that they had been brought together with a common purpose.

Taking a deep breath, Tamotsu thought of everyone he had found. He thought of their reiatsu signatures. Masao… Takeo… Naomi…

Tamotsu whipped his head around. Naomi! Something was wrong. Standing up quickly, he grabbed his bag and headed for the door.

"Tamotsu!" Tatsuki called. "What's wrong?"

Without answering, Tamotsu reached the outside and began running. Tatsuki struggled to catch up. Rounding a couple corners, Tamotsu broke into a full sprint.

* * *

><p>Hinohebi pounded her feet on the pads of the DDR game that she had waited patiently to play. Makko tried to keep up on the pad next to her, but Hinohebi's reflexes were too quick. Despite three levels of difference on the difficulty level, Hinohebi taking the hardest setting, she was still in the lead.<p>

Always keeping part of her mind on her master Tamotsu, Hinohebi felt him approaching long before he was at the arcade. When he arrived, the message was short and direct.

"Hinohebi," Tamotsu said. "I need you. Now."

Without hesitation, Hinohebi jumped over the guard rail of the game and ran toward the exit. Makko turned around.

"Hinohebi," Makko said. "You've waited forever to play this and now you're just up and leaving?"

"Sorry, Makko," Hinohebi responded. "I'll make it up to you!" With that, Hinohebi began running alongside Tamotsu at a breakneck speed.

After about a hundred yards, Tamotsu pulled out the stuffed owl which held the artificial soul he nicknamed Lucky. Giving the toy a squeeze, the pill popped out from the owl's beak and into his hand, where he immediately swallowed it and separated into his Shinigami form.

Lucky, suddenly in Tamotsu's body, doubled over and held his stomach. "I do say," Lucky said. "You should know better than to sprint immediately after eating a large meal! I shall do my best to keep it down for you."

Tamotsu reached over and pinched Hinohebi's shoulder and her portable Gigai deflated and she ran side by side with her master in her true form. Even though she couldn't sense the same things as her master, she knew it had to be important.

"Hinohebi, I need you to return to the zanpakuto," Tamotsu said. Without a word, Hinohebi obeyed. Changing to a glowing red color, her body transformed into pure energy and entered the whip wrapped around Tamotsu's body. Once the process was finished, Tamotsu concentrated and fired off Hado 1 from his feet. The blast rocketed him forward, but he maintained control.

Continuing this technique, it was only a few moments before he landed in Urahara's shop. Rather than opening the doors, he fired off a sequence of Hado 1 and blew them open forcefully. He passed Rangiku and Urahara as a black blur, heading straight for the latch that hid the entrance to the training area. Jumping above the latch, he fired of Hado 2 and the latch was pulled forcibly from the floor. When the opening was exposed, Tamotsu fired off Hado 1 from his feet and rocketed down the hundred feet to the floor of the training area.

Adjusting himself at the last second, Tamotsu formed a plate of reiatsu that suddenly slowed his descent and he landed on the ground with a blast of dirt erupting all around him. He emerged to find Takeo Saegusa holding Naomi by the collar of her Shinigami robes.

"Let her go, Takeo!" Tamotsu said commandingly. Takeo turned to see Tamotsu approaching from the blast and gave him a stern look. "Let… her… go."

Takeo dropped Naomi, who used Shunpo to run behind Tamotsu. Giving her a reassuring squeeze on the arm, Tamotsu approached and gave Takeo the same look as he was given.

"Explain yourself, Takeo," Tamotsu said. "Why are you doing this? She's done nothing to you!"

Takeo made gestures with his hands and arms. The message was clear. _You did not tell me she was a Hollow._

It was at this time Urahara and Rangiku appeared in the training area. Naomi ran to Rangiku and held tightly to her arm.

"It doesn't matter what she once was," Tamotsu said as he began pacing. "The only thing that matters is what she is. She is a Reincarnate. Just like me. And just like you."

Takeo began pacing back and forth, unblinking and his gaze fixed on Tamotsu. He made more gestures. _She is nothing like me. A Hollow tore out my throat. I cannot speak._

"You cannot blame the actions of a few on an entire race. The Hollows are not evil. They are merely souls who have lost themselves."

_You disappoint me. You will protect that girl? You will protect the Hollow?_

"I will protect my friends!"

Takeo pulled his zanpakuto out in front of him. Tamotsu could feel the whip form of Hinohebi writhe as the anticipation hit.

"Don't do this Takeo…"

After a tense moment, Takeo disappeared from view, reappearing behind Tamotsu and swinging down with his twin blade. On no action from him, Tamotsu could see the whip unravel and block the strike. Jumping back he finished unraveling the whip from around him and cracked it, causing a nearby rock to shatter from the force of the sonic blast of the crack. Takeo lunged and struck again, Tamotsu blocking by swinging the whip.

Rangiku started to take a step forward but was stopped by Urahara. "Kisuke," Rangiku said. "What are you doing?"

"They have to settle this themselves," Urahara answered. "I didn't expect this outcome, but its necessary for Tamotsu if he's going to assert himself and become the person we need him to be."

Rangiku widened her eyes and turned back to the fight. She didn't like what she was seeing, but knew that Urahara was right. Tamotsu had to do this on his own. Naomi took Rangiku by the hand and squeezed, and Rangiku held her close.

Takeo swung his blades over his head and crashed down, crushing the rocks below into powder as Tamotsu dodged. Several more times he swung the blades and Tamotsu either blocked or dodged each one of them. They had fought before, but that was only as a test of their skills. Now, Takeo was attacking Tamotsu as an enemy.

Tamotsu dodged an attack and swung his whip out, catching Takeo by the leg and tripping him. Takeo recovered and swung again, only to have the whip wrap around his blades. The whip burst into flames and immediately he could feel the heat running through the metal. Throwing his weapon aside, the whip was pulled from Tamotsu's grasp and the intertwined zanpakuto landed twenty feet away from the combatants.

Using Shunpo once again, Takeo closed the gap between himself and Tamotsu and began to punch and kick furiously. Tamotsu seemed to dodge every strike with room to spare, but Takeo's rage pushed him onward.

"You can't fight like this!" Tamotsu shouted. He dodged a kick that was followed by another. Ducking down, he jumped backward. "Listen to me, Takeo! You can't win a fight this way!"

Takeo leapt for Tamotsu and unleashed a flurry of spinning kicks.

"If you fight like this- If you fight with anger and hatred in your heart-" Takeo stopped his assault as it seemed Tamotsu had disappeared from his sight, then heard the voice from behind him. "Then you're no better than the Hollows you despise so much…"

Takeo turned just in time to see Tamotsu's fist. The blow struck him squarely in the right eye, immediately blackening it. He felt himself lifted up and dragged so quickly to a hard back that his body couldn't react. Looking in front of him, Tamotsu was holding him firmly by the collar by his left hand, his right rippling with electrical energy.

Tamotsu didn't allow Takeo time to react and he punched, hitting the rock only inches from Takeo's head. Takeo's eyes were wide, staring deeply into Tamotsu. The electrical current faded and cracks spread slowly from around the impact. Suddenly, the entire rock to which Takeo was pinned crumbled into dust. Tamotsu dropped his fallen opponent and reached out to the side with his right hand. The whip zanpakuto was pulled from its resting place on the ground and rewound itself around Tamotsu's body.

Without looking back Tamotsu approached the ladder leading to the surface. Upon reaching it, he bent his knees and jumped up. His body rocketed upward with his Kido-assisted jump.

Takeo's entire body was shaking. Tamotsu's words sank deep into him. _If I fight with anger and hatred in my heart… I'm no better than the Hollows I despise so much. Tamotsu… Naomi…_

Takeo fell forward on his knees, gripping the loose dirt with his fingers. Bitter tears formed in his eyes. If he could, he would have screamed. _Tamotsu… Naomi… I'm sorry… What have I done?_


	28. Closure

_If you attack with anger and hatred in your heart, then you're no better than the Hollows you despise so much._ Tamotsu's words rang through Takeo's thoughts over and over again. It had dealt a stinging blow to his pride, and yet at the same time he knew it to be true. What happened? He knew the girl Naomi wasn't responsible for what happened to her two lifetimes ago. He knew her to be very kind, if a bit too quiet at times. But he shouldn't be one to talk, so to speak, he told himself.

It was true he was bitter against the Hollows for taking his voice from him, but he did not mention to Tamotsu that they had taken something else from him that night. Haomi Ono, the woman he had just proposed to, was also taken from him. Unable to see him after his separation into Shinigami form, the Hollows attacked her. Her body and spirit were separated, the chain of fate shattering.

Takeo winced at the memory, tears forming in his eyes. There was no escaping the reality of what happened. And yet, there was still a chance she was there still. Takeo knew he wouldn't rest well until he made amends, then found the spirit of the woman he loved. It was clear that she had not moved to the Soul Society after she was attacked. She was still in this realm. Takeo knew it. And he had to find her.

Trying to compose himself, Takeo looked in the mirror and lifted his chin. Although there was nothing there on his human body, the scars were all too obvious on his spirit body. It all seemed like a bad dream, but he knew it was real.

Walking outside his room, he moved a few doors down. His hand shook as he nervously knocked on the door for Naomi Kanagawa's room. The door opened slowly after a moment, answered by Naomi herself. She did not react with fear or anger as Takeo had thought, but rather stepped back and motioned for Takeo to enter.

He felt weak. Here he was with the girl that he had attacked, and she merely seemed to wonder why he had come to her. Taking a couple of steps, Takeo tried to figure out how he could tell her that he was sorry. He normally would never have taken steps of aggression. His pride as a martial artist was based on honor, and he had broken that honor.

Before he could think further, Takeo found that Naomi had stepped forward. He hadn't noticed that she had moved until she touched him, wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace. She seemed to be crying as well, but her message was clear enough to him. No words were exchanged between the two, but each knew what was the other was thinking.

_I am so sorry,_ Takeo thought.

_I forgive you,_ Naomi though.

Takeo exited Naomi's room, neither of them holding any ill will toward each other. It was at that time Takeo saw Masao. All at once, he knew what happened. Masao had manipulated his thoughts into believing that Naomi was still possessed by the thoughts of a Hollow, causing him to turn against her and, in turn, against Tamotsu.

He could feel the anger beginning to swell, but Tamotsu's thoughts immediately entered his mind. No, he couldn't be angry. There had to be a reason for Masao's deceit, but it only served to firmly fasten Takeo's loyalty to Tamotsu. True, Tamotsu may have been a weakling Shinigami in his past life, unable to perform the simplest of tasks many times, but that was in the past. They were different people, but with memories of another past. What they are now is not what they were then. They are not worse, but much more than anything they could have been.

There was something else. Something seemed a bit off, but Takeo couldn't place it exactly. It all seemed so recently that they were regaining their memories. Was there something higher going on? The Shinigami at Soul Society didn't seem to know anything. At least that was what he gathered from Urahara and Tamotsu.

Takeo sighed as he thought of Tamotsu once again. Now being mute, the barrier of communication was strengthened. Unable to share what he wanted to in words and signs, Takeo returned to his room and began writing on a notepad that Urahara had provided for him.

Tamotsu walked past as Takeo was finishing writing his message. He waved to Tamotsu and motioned for him to enter. Handing him the paper, Takeo urged Tamotsu to read.

_Tamotsu Toshiyuki. I must apologize for my actions. I was wrong, and I know it. I feel there is more that you are not telling me, but it is not my place to ask. In turn, there are things I have not told you. I must leave to make amends for something in Tokyo. I do not know when I will return, but you have my full loyalty._

Tamotsu nodded as he finished reading the message. "I understand," he said. "Take as much time as you need. When you return, I'll answer any questions you might have for me."

Takeo nodded and exited his room. He didn't look back as he moved through the store front and out the main door. Rangiku watched from the porch as Takeo walked with a firm pace.

"I wonder where he's going?" Rangiku wondered out loud.

"He's going to Tokyo," Tamotsu answered.

"Tokyo? What for?"

"He's looking for closure."

Kisuke Urahara rounded a corner and saw Tamotsu standing in the doorway. "Ah, Tamotsu," he said with his normal cheerful grin. "I was wondering if I could speak with you a moment."

"Urahara, I already said I was sorry for your doors and the entrance to the training ground."

"Those? Oh, don't worry about that. There's a few other things I wanted to discuss."

Turning around, Tamotsu couldn't tell exactly what Urahara wanted from him. Facing the man, there didn't really seem to be too much expression on his face. Then again, his face normally bore a smiling expression until he turned serious. "What is it then? I'm not going until you tell me what this is about."

It was then that Urahara's face turned solemn. "You were two miles away from what I could tell last night. The rock surrounding my training area is sekkiseki rock, which absorbs loose reiatsu and prevents any from entering or exiting. As I was saying, I was wondering if I could speak with you a moment."

* * *

><p>Takeo Saegusa spent the next hour on the bullet train to Tokyo. There was no way he could tell his sister that he was returning for a short while, but he was sure that she would be expecting him. He felt uneasy returning to his home section of the city. It seemed strange to him now, especially after spending time with another Reincarnate and remembering more of his past.<p>

He soon made it to the small house he shared with his sister. It opened before he was able to knock on the door. Miki stood in the doorway, a smile on her face.

"I could sense you approaching," Miki said. "I was wondering when you would come home."

_This does not feel like home anymore,_ Takeo thought, knowing that his sister could hear him. He wasn't sure what the reason was for her being able to hear thoughts. He believed that it was purely a psychic ability, but now wondered if it were a type of spiritual power awakening within her.

"I don't know what it is either, Brother," Miki said. Takeo looked up surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. This just happens. But it may be a power like yours, I just don't know." Inviting Takeo into the house, they seated themselves on opposite sides of a center table. "So, are you going to tell me why you suddenly decided to come back?"

Takeo sighed. _I have to find Haomi,_ he thought. _I saw her die, the chain of fate severed in front of me. She's still out there. Her spirit. I can't rest easy until I know her spirit is in the Soul Society._

Takeo had given Miki brief overviews on the affairs of Soul Society, their missions, the Hollows, and even his thoughts on the Reincarnation process. It was difficult, especially since she did not have, or remember, he added, memories of a past life like he did.

"Its true that I don't understand everything," Miki responded. "But I will do everything that I can in order to assist you."

Takeo looked down, then felt a sudden chill in the air. _Hollow_, he thought. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small green pill and swallowed it. His spirit and physical body separated and he ran out the front door.

Miki's eyes went wide. She had seen the whole thing. Actually see her brother separate and another form of him in a black kimono ran out the front door wielding a dual-bladed sword. Across the table, the human Takeo stirred and took a shy position on the chair.

"Master wants me to stay right here so that's what I'm going to do," the human Takeo said. The voice was quiet and shy, the complete opposite of her brother.

Miki caught her breath. Perhaps her ability was some type of Spiritual Energy like Takeo had mentioned. In recent years, she had been seeing things that she couldn't explain, but never something like the Shinigami that her brother told her about. She knew what she had to do.

"Spirit," Miki said. "I'm going with Takeo. Stay here and don't move."

"Stay here and don't move," the spirit in Takeo's body answered, entering the fetal position and rocking back and forth. "Stay here and don't move."

* * *

><p>Tamotsu sat across from Rangiku and Urahara in the standard conference area. They were alone, the mod souls had been sent elsewhere.<p>

"So tell me, Tamotsu," Urahara was saying. "How were you able to sense the trouble from so far, so clearly, despite the conditions I mentioned before? It was even difficult for myself and Rangiku to sense what was going on within the training area, yet you seemed to react so quickly to it."

Tamotsu closed his eyes and thought. "I don't know," he said. "My mind was wandering and I began to concentrate on the reiatsu signatures of everyone. When I got to Naomi, its like I could feel her emotions. I knew something was wrong, so I got here as quickly as I could."

"So we noticed. And it also seems as if you were using Kido to increase your own speed. How was that done exactly? You never were known for having good speed technique."

"I incorporated something Rangiku taught me. Well, tried to teach me. I just adapted it to the type of situation I needed and worked from there."

"Interesting," Urahara said quietly. He had been monitoring Tamotsu's progress ever since he had first stepped into the shop. It seemed that he was able to readily adapt known techniques very quickly to suit any given situation. He had already shown progress with Hados 1, 11 and 31, being able to take their basic roots and modify them into something else. It was not unheard of, but it was rare that Shinigami would become so imaginative with various techniques.

Aside from that, his strength did seem to be increasing. Although he did not witness the eruption of power from Soul Society, he read the reports as soon as he was allowed back in. It did not seem as though he had lost the power in his reincarnation, but his body seemed to adapt to be able to handle it. It was entirely possible that his own body was suppressing its power on its own, but the full extent was unknown.

Finally, his ability to sense when those close to him are in danger. It seemed impossible for him to have been able to sense the tension and situation from the night previous, yet there was no denying what happened. Somehow he could know exactly what was going on from behind a fortified barrier designed to prevent that very type of sensory perception.

"Thank you, Tamotsu," Urahara finally said. "That will be everything for now." Tamotsu nodded and left. Urahara watched and then rubbed his head in deep thought.

"What is it?" Rangiku asked. "Is everything okay with Kiyoshi?"

"Everything's fine with him," Urahara answered. "He's never been in a truly trying battle, so we don't know the extent of his abilities. Rangiku, you were sent here to be with him until you deemed it appropriate for him to continue his mission on his own. Am I correct?"

Rangiku sighed and nodded slowly. "Its still hard for me to believe that this is the same person who I served in Soul Society with. The truth is, I don't want to leave him."

"But the time if fast approaching when you might have to."

Rangiku turned away, her expression slowly saddening. "I know," she said.

* * *

><p>Takeo ran as fast as he could. He could sense the presence of a strong Hollow nearby, but there were no Shinigami in the area that he knew of. The urge to protect from Hollows was returning to him.<p>

Jumping high into the air there were far fewer obstacles. He found the location quickly, a park not too far from where he was currently located. The Hollow was large, chasing a human soul. He lunged straight for the Hollow, bringing his zanpakuto out in front and slashing down across the beast's back.

Blood spurt from the wound as the Hollow howled in rage and pain. It turned to face its attacker, looking down from a fifteen foot height. Glowing red eyes peered at Takeo from behind the mask covering its face, its mouth opening slowly. A beam of red energy began forming within the mouth and a Cero was fired.

Rather than dodging, Takeo struck the beam of energy with his zanpakuto and began spinning the dual blade in a circle in front of him. The beam faded, but Takeo's blade shone brightly. His zanpakuto ability, he remembered, allowed him to absorb energy attacks and transfer that energy to increase his blade's physical power.

He jumped again, meeting the Hollow at face level and began a series of long, quick cuts. He had struggled to break through the skin on his initial attack, but now he was able to cut through the Hollow like a hot blade through butter.

The Hollow hovered in its standing position for a moment, then dissolved into the air. Takeo took a deep breath. Tamotsu had helped him to gain a further understanding about Hollows. Takeo knew now that it was not dead, but had become a cleansed human soul and was sent to Soul Society. After his incident with Naomi and Tamotsu, he could not bring himself to hate them anymore. He despised what they did, but not the Hollows themselves.

"Takeo?" a voice asked. It was soft, sweet and familiar. Like the voice of an angel. Takeo turned to see Haomi. She was the spirit the Hollow had been chasing. "Takeo, is it really you?" Takeo nodded. "Takeo, its me. Why don't you speak to me?"

Takeo lifted his chin and pointed to the two lateral scars across his throat. Haomi ran to her boyfriend from life and gave a full embrace and kissed him.

"Takeo, I've been so scared," she said. "These monsters that keep appearing, I've been able to outrun them but I don't know why they keep coming after me."

"They're called Hollows," someone from behind said. Takeo and Haomi turned to find Miki. "They are fallen spirits who were not sent to the Soul Society by a Shinigami and lost their hearts. Takeo told me about them. And his past life."

Haomi looked at Takeo's clothing and the dual blade mounted on his back. "So this is what happened," she said. "And you were like this in another life all the time?"

Takeo nodded. He placed his hand on her shoulder and looked in her eyes. No words were spoken, but it was clear what he wanted to say. _You need to go. You will be safe in Soul Society._

"I understand," Haomi said. "Will I see you there? In this Soul Society?"

Takeo turned away. _I don't know._ Turning back, he tightened his grip on her shoulder. Firm but sympathetic. _I will find you._

Haomi nodded, then smiled. "I will wait for you on the other side, then," she said. "Thank you, Takeo Saegusa."

The air surrounding Haomi began glowing blue, her body glowing brighter and brighter. Miki stared in awe, her brother with mixed emotions. There was no guarantee that he would find her, but at least she would be safe. And that was all that mattered. Haomi's body glowed brighter until it began to fade. When the light vanished, she was gone.

_I will find you one day, Haomi_, Takeo thought. _I promise you._

Miki placed her hand on her brother's shoulder. He looked at her, not surprised in the least that she could see him in his Shinigami form. "I don't know if I can help you," Miki was saying. "But if you would like, I shall come with you to Karakura Town."

Takeo took Miki's hand off his shoulder and turned to face her. _Your place is here. But my destiny lies in that town. This is what I have prepared for my entire life._

Miki nodded. The last time her brother left his mind was clouded with confusion and doubt. Now, his path was clear. She knew that she couldn't follow him but hoped that perhaps, one day, their paths should cross once again. Her brother had found his peace. And that was what she believed to be most important.


	29. Division and Power

Vincent felt himself falling as he was thrown out of the bar. He landed hard on the unpaved street, the stack of paintings he had made scattered.

"Don't come back until you have something to pay with, Vincent!" the bartender yelled at the fallen man.

"I can pay," Vincent responded, collecting his fallen parchments. "One painting for one drink."

"Yes, that would work if you had any talent. Your so-called artwork is not welcome here. Until you have something tangible to pay with I don't want to see your face anywhere near this establishment!"

The bartender stormed into the stuffy tavern and left the fallen man. Pedestrians who passed by did not offer a second glance as Vincent tenderly collected his paintings and brushed the dirt. Times were hard for him in nineteenth century England. He loved the world and portrayed it in his artwork, but his style was too abstract for anyone to truly appreciate.

Often scolded for his lack of talent, he continued to paint purely for his love of the world and of nature itself. Also, the people believed him to be raving mad due to his continual claims of seeing things that others could not. He could see the demons clear as day, but never brought himself to draw them. They were too hideous even for him. Demons who hid their faces behind white masks and bellowed in the night. Searching, always searching, for something to fill that unquenchable hunger.

* * *

><p>Tamotsu woke up gasping. He shook his head and found it to be drenched in sweat. He had been dreaming. That much he knew. But this was unlike his others. It seemed so real, the establishments were so much alive in his dream. It was as if he had been there before. While in the dream, he was another person. Vincent? Vincent who, though? Normally he would have just shaken off the venture as nothing more than a dream and trick of his mind. But something bothered him. It was more than just merely a dream, it had to be.<p>

It was then that Rangiku burst into Tamotsu's room. "Kiyoshi!" she cried out. "Is everything okay? We could feel your reiatsu spiking."

"I'm okay, Rangiku," Tamotsu responded. "It was only a dream."

Rangiku seemed unconvinced. Being siblings, they could read each other easier, but Rangiku knew that it would be best not to press the issue. Her brother had been through a lot. Whatever it was, she believed that he would approach her when he felt like he could talk about it.

Not being able to find any words, Rangiku only nodded as she closed the door. Tamotsu sighed and looked at the ceiling. He couldn't find any other explanation for the experience, but it would have to wait until morning. He would speak to Urahara about it. It seemed far fetched, but it was the only conclusion he could think of. Was this dream actually a memory of yet another past life?

* * *

><p>Goro Ojima and Ayame Yamaguchi sat with Masao Rin at a parlor in downtown Karakura Town. "I appreciate the two of you joining me," Masao was saying.<p>

"I could hardly refuse someone in the same profession as we are," Goro responded. "Sendai, was it?"

Masao nodded. "I had to come here on forced leave due to the condition I'm sure the both of you have experienced."

"It can be difficult to adjust to," Ayame said. "But why could we not just speak at the Urahara man's establishment?"

Masao took a sip of his coffee and closed his eyes. "There are things that we just can't discuss there. Namely about our proposed leader, Tamotsu Toshiyuki."

"What about him?" Goro asked. "He seems well enough. After all, it was through our investigation of him that we found out about others like ourselves. Finding out about a past life is difficult enough of a concept. Shouldn't we band together?"

Masao sighed. "Yes, but I've been able to find information about Tamotsu from his past life in the Soul Society. Things that traditional research wouldn't find."

Goro and Ayame sat silent, waiting for Masao to further explain himself.

"You see, Tamotsu isn't all that he appears to be. In my research, I have discovered that he was a student at the Academy far longer than anyone else on record. For forty years he trained and was unable to graduate. He was unable to perform basic battle techniques and yet he was able to sleaze his way into attaining the third seated position in the Tenth Division. You can ask Mr. Urahara. He can confirm this, as well as Rangiku Matsumoto as Tamotsu served directly under her."

"He seemed competent enough," Ayame said. "After all, we are all changed people. We are not the same as we were from Soul Society."

"We are exactly the same!" Masao said, almost losing his temper. Realizing his raised voice began to cause commotion and draw attention, he lowered his tone. "Listen to me. Nothing changes. People don't change. He is exactly as incompetent now as he was then. The lowest class of Shinigami is stronger than he ever could be. He was unable to control his own reiatsu and caused two craters outside of Seireitei. Traces can still be felt, I'm sure. We all died in Soul Society before he graduated. He can paint, I'll give him that much, and he has some minor skill. He fought with me once before in an attempt for me to regain my memories and only defeated me because I was too distraught over my own death."

"You seem adamant about this, Mr. Rin," Goro said. "You say we can check on these statements to prove their validity? Why come to us about this?"

"As fellow officers of the law, I'm sure you can understand I have decent reasons for not voicing these statements in the company of the other Shinigami. Urahara and Yoruichi are too closely attached to him to see the truth. We can't trust them. We can't trust anyone in the Soul Society."

Goro and Ayame exchanged glances before looking back to Masao. "Why do you say that?" Ayame asked.

"It wasn't until Mr. Toshiyuki came into the picture that anyone even began to care about us. The Captains do not deserve us to come crawling back to them as if nothing happened. If they did care, they would have searched for us. They should have fought harder to keep us from dying in the first place! My Captain could have protected me. Instead, she jumped away and allowed me to die. My blood is on her hands. The others are the same. And we have to show them that we will not be taken lightly."

The two recruits could only listen to Masao. His demeanor was serious, and it seemed that a lot of thought and planning came with these words. "What are you planning on doing?" Goro asked.

"We have to show the Captains of the Gotei Thirteen that we will not be ignored. They know of the reincarnation cycle. They know that we died in their service, yet they did nothing. All this time, our existence has been swept under the rug. We remember things now for a purpose. We have a destiny to fulfill. And it begins with taking back what is rightfully ours. Our lives from Soul Society. This is our day, and I intend to fight to regain my purpose and to have my former Captain atone for when she willfully spilt my blood that day."

* * *

><p>Tamotsu knocked on Urahara's door. He was nervous about what he had to say to the man, but knew that Kisuke Urahara was the only one who could possibly have any answers.<p>

"Come in," Urahara answered. Tamotsu slid open the door, then closed it behind him. "Tamotsu. What's on your mind?"

Tamotsu dropped to his knees, now sinking below Urahara's height. "I need some advice," he said. "I can't tell Rangiku, and I think you're the only one who can answer this."

Urahara narrowed his gaze. The way in which Tamotsu approached was something he hadn't seen before. There was sincerity, and a sense of fear even. "I can tell you didn't come here just for a friendly little chat, Tamotsu," he said. "So. What is on your mind?"

Still looking down, Tamotsu gave his response. "I've been starting to have some dreams. Like the ones when I started to regain my memories from the Soul Society. But these are different. Somewhere I've never laid eyes on. Mr. Urahara, is it at all possible that I'm regaining memories of a second past life? And if so, could that explain why I'm getting stronger now?"

Urahara closed his eyes and thought a moment before answering. "Well, it is entirely possible for someone to regain memories of a second past life. Naomi Kanagawa is proof of that. But as far as you getting stronger from it? I'll have to draw a blank on that note. You see, this is the first time in history something like this has ever happened. I'm sure its completely possible for a compilation of past reiatsu would begin to manifest itself. Are you scared of getting stronger? I thought that was what you always strove for."

"Yeah, but that's the thing. Last time I got even remotely close to being this strong in Soul Society I ended up blowing up from my reiatsu and leaving a crater a mile wide."

"Ah. I see. Your point is… well taken. But your power shouldn't be something that you fear. If you are able to control it and harness it, you can become quite powerful."

"But I don't want to be all-powerful."

"Well then, what do you want?"

Tamotsu was about to say something, but his mind went blank at the question. What did he want? Things just seemed so confusing for him right now. Was he a human? A Shinigami? Both? And these new memories becoming manifest. Who was he then?

"I- I don't know," Tamotsu finally said, his voice choking. "I'm kind of starting to have another identity crisis here, okay? Remembering one past life is one thing, but remembering another one? And how many more would I be capable of keeping straight before I lose it completely?"

Urahara smiled. "Well, believe it or not, I can't help you on this matter. In the meantime, why don't you go train with Yoruichi? Naomi hardly seems to be the type who would want to battle and Rangiku and the others are out. Besides, I'm sure there was something you've been wanting to learn from Yoruichi. Am I right?"

Tamotsu nodded. He had been denied being taught the Shunko technique by Captain Soi Fon, but there was something else. Thinking back, there seemed to be another reason for the denial and the information given to him about Masao Rin. It was almost as if she were trying to get rid of him. Was there something going on that Soi Fon didn't want him to know about?

Shrugging off the thought, he focused on the task at hand. Yoruichi was the only other person known to have been able to use the Shunko technique, a combination of physical fighting and Kido. It was surely a technique that required a lot of power, and now Tamotsu wanted to learn it for another reason. This may be a way to ease off some of the power he was accumulating.

Finding Lucky, Tamotsu changed into his Shinigami form and gave the artificial soul charge over his body. Yoruichi was already down in the training area by the time he arrived. She was in human form, dressed in her typical jumper and facing away from the ladder.

"I was wondering when you'd ask me," Yoruichi said, not looking at him from her position. "You do realize how much work this is going to take, and you won't get it right off don't you?"

"I have my reasons for wanting to learn this technique, Yoruichi," Tamotsu responded. Looking at the whip wrapped around his shoulder, he added, "Hinohebi. I won't need you for this training. You can come out."

A flash of red light erupted as the zanpakuto took a human form. Hinohebi stretched. "Oh, it feels good to get out again. I wasn't planning on this, so can I just sit and watch?"

Tamotsu nodded and Hinohebi jumped onto some rocks on the sidelines and watched.

"For Shunko to be effective," Yoruichi began explaining, "you have to have a clear mind about everything around you. First off, you need to raise you right hand into a fist and cry out 'The power of justice prevails!'"

Tamotsu sank his shoulders. "You're kidding, right?" he asked. "You honestly expect me to do that?"

Turning away and waving her hand, Yoruichi said, "Well if you don't want to learn it…"

"Wait! I'll do it." Focusing his inner energy and clenching his right hand into a fist, Tamotsu prepared himself. Then, thrusting his right hand into the air he cried with all his might, "The power of Justice Prevails!"

"Wow, you actually did it," Yoruichi said, a hint of surprise in her voice.

Tamotsu doubled over and he smacked himself on the forehead with his palm. "WHAT?! You mean to tell me that was just for your own amusement?!"

"Yeah, pretty much."

On the sidelines, Hinohebi burst out laughing and began to roll on the ground in amusement. Tamotsu could feel the rage inside himself building.

"Oh, come on," Yoruichi said. "Can't a girl have some fun? If you want, go ahead and attack me. I know you want to."

"Why you…" Tamotsu growled. Running forward, Tamotsu took a wide swing to which Yoruichi dodged easily using Shunpo.

"Oh, please," she said, almost yawning. "That blow looked like you were standing still. Try it again."

Tamotsu attacked again using kicks and punches in various combinations. To every strike, Yoruichi either managed to dodge or block with ease. She was too fast for him, and he was still unable to use the Shunpo in order to match her jumps from one location to another.

Shunpo… Shunko… Why did the two have to sound so similar? He kept mixing them up in his head. Another strike was met with another dodge. But there was something different that time. Tamotsu began to see a blue glow surrounding Yoruichi. Whenever she dodged, it thinned and began to collect where she would stop. But she was still too fast for him to match directly.

Thinking back to his first fight with Takeo, Tamotsu remembered something he had felt. He had thought it was the heat of battle, but it was like he could read the other man's techniques before or just as they were beginning to be used. Could he use this ability at will? It was worth a shot. After all, he knew that Yoruichi was once a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen. Any advantage would help. But not only was she faster than he was. She was stronger as well. Thinking of how to compensate for that, Tamotsu opened himself up and allowed his power to flow freely.

Yoruichi stopped her attacks momentarily as Tamotsu's reiatsu level spiked. A blue/white glow began to emerge around Tamotsu's body. When he opened his eyes, she noted that they were also glowing with that same brightness.

Turning to the offensive, Yoruichi started slow and pulled her techniques. She wasn't sure of Tamotsu's power and didn't want to strain him too much. Every strike was met with a block. Punch high, kick low, middle, low again, then high. She gradually increased the speed and power of the techniques. But something bothered her about the manner in which he blocked. He seemed too casual for blocking blows of that strength. She wasn't going full strength yet but could easily see that Tamotsu was matching her every move.

The level of reiatsu increased again and Tamotsu turned onto the offensive. He struck with punches first, following the momentum with a series of spinning kicks and finishing the set with a combination of jump spinning techniques. The final punch was aimed for Yoruichi's face, to which she dodged using Shunpo.

Watching the woman's reiatsu thin, Tamotsu could feel it collecting again behind him. Using the momentum from his punch, he turned around and began an upward kick. Everything moved slowly for him. He couldn't see Yoruichi, but knew exactly where she would be exiting Shunpo. The time came and Yoruichi pulled herself back in surprise at the kick.

She had expected him to do something like that, but the time came faster than she had anticipated. Tamotsu himself was unable to use Shunpo, she knew that much, and yet he was able to nearly match her speed. She came to a quick realization that whatever Tamotsu was using, it was anything but Shunko. Shunko was too difficult to control fully, even for her. Also, it was done in real time. Whatever Tamotsu was doing, it was expanding to something else and allowed him to increase the speed and adjust almost instantly.

More punches and kicks were met with more dodges and counterstrikes. There was nothing else she could do on this level, she soon realized. She knew that Tamotsu had great power within him, and it seemed that his true power was only beginning to awaken.

"Tamotsu," she said. "I think its time I take this to the next level." She knew the risks, both to herself and to Tamotsu. But this was no longer about teaching him Shunko. There was a power hidden deep within Tamotsu, and this was the only way to unlock it.

Clenching her fists, Yoruichi allowed her reiatsu to flow freely. White energy erupted from her arms and shoulders as she entered Shunko state. She wasn't able to remain in that state for too long she knew. The strain would become too much even for her. She hadn't used this before in training for anyone, but in the back of her mind she knew she had to.

The over shirt torn apart by the power of her Shunko, Yoruichi engaged Tamotsu. She could feel his own power growing by the minute. Her strikes were met with perfect blocks from Tamotsu, sparks flying from the contact. Using Shunpo, Yoruichi jumped behind Tamotsu and aimed a kick at his head. There was no dodge as she had expected. Fearing she would take the Shinigami's head off, she began to pull the strike but was stopped. Looking at her ankle, she was surprised to find that Tamotsu had actually caught her kick in mid-strike.

Unable to do anything while in the air, Yoruichi rolled with the blow as she was thrown. Tamotsu was charging now, but Yoruichi made no attempt to dodge. She held up her hand and caught Tamotsu as he came in with a punch. "That's enough, Tamotsu," she said.

Looking up, Tamotsu's eyes faded to their normal color along with the rest of his body.

"We're done?" Tamotsu asked.

"You have a lot of power built up in you, Tamotsu Toshiyuki," Yoruichi said.

"But I don't want to do this for the power. I want to be able to cleanse Hollows and make sure they're sent to Soul Society. I'm not doing this for the added strength."

"Despite that, you've managed to match me in my own Shunko. Tamotsu, why do you want to gain this power? Why do you want to learn Shunko?"

"I just told you . I want to cleanse Hollows. Not merely bash them so they will appear again elsewhere. Why? Did I do it? Did I learn the Shunko technique?"

Yoruichi narrowed her eyes. "No," she said. "That was not Shunko. Tamotsu, the technique you've created is something more powerful."

Tamotsu's knees collapsed under him. His eyes were wide, the breath escaping in ragged gasps of surprise. "More… powerful… than Shunko?" he asked. "But… how?"

"I don't know," Yoruichi responded. "My best guess is that somehow you are managing to tap into your full power. The power of lives past. The true power of a Reincarnate."

* * *

><p><strong>NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR<strong>

I know, I know. Tamotsu is managing to become more powerful. Not that he wants it, but finding out how to control this power will prove to be a challenge. The accumulation of memories of past lives is beginning to have a toll on him, and Masao's plan is entering its next stages. Only a matter of time now until another confrontation.


	30. The Protector and the Destroyer

"How's he doing?" Rangiku asked as she walked in to the room where Urahara and Yoruichi were seated.

"Well, physically he's perfectly fine," Urahara said. "His emotional status, however, seems to have taken quite a toll. Its only natural, with all he's been through."

Yoruichi looked at her glass of milk unblinking. "He was able to match both my Shunpo speed and the power of my Shunko," she said. "He still can't fully use Shunpo on his own. Yet somehow he's able to track my movements. This new mode of his enables some sort of hyper awareness. Its not anything I've ever seen before."

"He could use some cheering up, Rangiku," Urahara said. "Who better to do that than yourself? I'm sure both you and he could manage to have a day off."

Rangiku thought for a moment. She hadn't planned on taking the day off. There wasn't really anything she thought of that might cheer her brother up. Then she remembered the paintings he was working on when they first met. He had been an artist, so maybe a visit to the art museum would help? It was worth a shot.

"Thank you, Kisuke," Rangiku said. "If there's anything else that you find out, be sure to tell me. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to him."

"His reiatsu level is stable if that's what you're asking. Somehow, despite the increase in power, he's able to handle it fully. His control is incredible, whether he's consciously suppressing it or not, its difficult to tell exactly what level he is at. But I assure you, there's nothing to worry about."

Rangiku nodded. Urahara was right. There wasn't anything to worry about. If problems were to arise, there would have been something to show. But since nothing happened so far, there wasn't any real reason to worry.

Rangiku knocked on the door to Tamotsu's room and opened the door slowly. "Kiyoshi?" she asked. She was the only one who called him that. Ever since she found out that he was her brother from his recent past life she had given him that name. He didn't seem to mind, they had always been close.

Rangiku remembered back when they had first met after he was taken and had the seal placed on him. He had apparently grown up with no knowledge of it and joined the Shino Academy. It was her last year and his first year of attendance. They were drawn to each other for some reason, but neither could say exactly why. He had seemed so weak back then. Nearly the entire essence of his power was suppressed but he tried so hard. When Rangiku looked into his room now, she saw what seemed to be a different person.

Throughout her meeting him again in this world, his emotions had always gone from one extreme to another. A mixture of high and low. Now, it was at a low again. And lower than she had ever seen him before.

Known by others as Tamotsu Toshiyuki, Rangiku looked into his room. He was sitting on the bed unblinking. "When is it going to stop, Rangiku?" Tamotsu asked. "I didn't ask for any of this. I just want to know who I am. Why am I remembering so much? Why am I getting so powerful? I just wanted to be strong enough to protect."

Sitting down next to Tamotsu on the bed, Rangiku put her arm around him. "I don't know, Kiyoshi," she said. "But this has to mean something special. Nobody else has had this before, but it has to be something great in store."

"Is a regular life too much to ask for? Can't I just be a Shinigami again and not worry about anything else?"

Rangiku laughed. "You call being a Shinigami a normal life? Supernatural powers and chasing monsters around? There are some days I'd rather be here and not have to worry about all that. As long as I can afford my drinks I'm fine."

Tamotsu smiled. "That's something else I've been wondering about. You said after you graduated from the Shino Academy you looked for me but I was gone without any records."

"That's right. But you're here now. What are you getting at?"

"Rangiku, was my disappearance the reason you started drinking?"

Rangiku felt as if her heart jumped into her throat. "Ah, well, you see… There were times where- I couldn't just go on- Say, do you want to go to the art museum? You like painting, maybe that will cheer you up!"

Rangiku grabbed Tamotsu's hand and started pulling, then pushed him gently out the door. "Rangiku, you're avoiding the topic…"

"Nonsense. I hear they've got some famous reproductions there too."

"Answer my question, Rangiku."

"What question?"

* * *

><p>The art museum was quiet. It was the middle of the week during daytime so it would naturally be slow, but today seemed particularly slow. Rangiku and Tamotsu walked side by side slowly through the halls, more meandering than actually looking. Tamotsu had seen them all before.<p>

"Wow, I never knew there were so many styles," Rangiku commented. "What's this one? Its just a bunch of shapes thrown together. And that's just a bunch of fruit on a table. Why would that be in a museum?"

Tamotsu glanced at the painting she was looking at. "Color and shape to balance out the template. A blue box on the top right to balance the red circle on the lower left, balanced by a yellow backdrop. And a still life. Appreciation for the simple things. See the boldness of the apple compared to the soft texture of the lace surrounding the mat?"

Rangiku looked again. "It still looks like a painting of a fruit basket. I've seen those in the store."

Tamotsu shook his head. His sister just didn't understand the finer pieces of what makes something truly art. Art was meant to be an expression of one's self. A physical manifestation of how the artist viewed the world. Beauty can be made with the simplest of objects. To a true artist, even something as simple as a chair could be turned into art.

Looking through the varied artistic interpretations, Tamotsu could see the classics from Michelangelo and Da Vinci. The soft textures and rounded forms, the stark brightness of repeating patterns and more modern patchwork art. Every piece of art had a story to tell. What was going through the painter's mind when they painted it? What was the object really like, and how would he have interpreted it differently.

"Now this one's just weird," Rangiku said as she stopped in front of another painting. "Its all splotchy. Is this really considered great artwork?"

Tamotsu approached the painting. He recognized it instantly as one of the greatest pieces of art in history. But then something else. He saw the painting on a canvas, half finished. He could see his own hand forming the bold strokes of color, then looking once again to the night sky.

It felt as if Tamotsu's mind would explode. He grabbed his head and cried out as more images forced their way into his mind. He saw sunflowers and wheat fields. He remembered painting them all. He remembered self portraits and being criticized by all those around him. He remembered the mysterious demons and being told they were only hallucinations. But they were real.

_Your paintings will never be remembered, Vincent,_ the voices said. No. No, they would be remembered. They would be remembered and they would be mounted proudly.

"Rangiku…" Tamotsu said, bringing himself to his feet. "When was I born?"

"What do you mean?" Rangiku asked. The question seemed to be from nowhere, but he seemed intent.

"When was I born in Soul Society?"

"I don't see what all the big fuss is about," she said, lifting her finger to her chin. "It was over a hundred years ago, I remember that much. Then to now, I'd say it was about 1890. Why do you ask? And what's so important about that painting that you would ask such a thing?"

Tamotsu lifted himself, feeling heavy as more memories were brought to light. "Because…" he said. "I painted that!" Feeling faint, Tamotsu pointed to the plaque with a brief description about the artist before he passed out.

Rangiku crouched next to Tamotsu. He was breathing regularly and seemed to be all right. But what was on the plaque that was so important? Her curiosity pushed her to look, and to find out who her brother was before he was born in Soul Society.

_The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gough. 1853-1890._

Rangiku assisted Tamotsu outside of the art museum. He had recovered moments after passing out, but it was clear the strain had worn him down. Rangiku had never studied artwork in the human world before, but it was clear from her brother's reaction that he was the artist who had painted some of the works in there. She could try to cheer him up again, stating that he should be proud that his paintings were so well recognized, but that would probably only stress him further.

Her plan to cheer him had backfired, now he would be even more confused. Realizing fully the amount of memories that must be flooding his head, it was something she couldn't begin to comprehend.

"Rangiku," Tamotsu said. "I know you were only trying to help. I appreciate that. But right now I need to be alone. Remembering fully one past life is taxing, now I have two. Plus my life here. Please."

"I understand," Rangiku said. She still had her hand on his shoulder, but didn't know what to do. Should she say something further, or would it be best just to leave? Squeezing his shoulder slightly, she said simply, "You know where to find me." With that, she had to pry herself away.

There were so many unknowns. All she could do was hope that her brother- Tamotsu Toshiyuki, Kiyoshi Matsumoto, and now Vincent Van Gough, could find peace with what, and who, he was.

* * *

><p>Tamotsu passed the Karakura Town High School. It was busy, school was just getting out. A stark contrast to the quiet museum they were just in, but Tamotsu's thoughts drifted elsewhere. Ever since he first regained his memories as a Shinigami there was an inkling at the back of his mind that the possibility lied where he could remember more of his past lives. Only it never occurred to him that he could actually remember them in such detail.<p>

Naomi Kanagawa remembered bits of a second past life as a Hollow, but it seemed fragmentary from what he could gather. Bits and pieces, but the girl was so quiet most of the time. Conversing with her didn't ever seem to go very far unless she wanted to speak.

Subconsciously, Tamotsu found himself seeking out the reiatsu signatures of the high school students he had met before. Sado, Orihime and Ichigo. They were there, but what could they do? This was something he had to figure out on his own. The Captains in Soul Society couldn't figure it out, so why would they? Was he suddenly drawn to them because they were all humans with powers? They had come to terms with what they were, so why couldn't he?

Passing the school and rounding a corner, Tamotsu was isolated again. He could feel presences around him, knowing what each one was. Two Pluses, a Hollow of low level and something else. It tingled the back of his mind, but forced it down. There were other things to consider.

A sharp crack in the surrounding reishi snapped Tamotsu to reality. He knew what had formed. He didn't know how he knew, but the sensation was unmistakable. A Quincy arrow had formed. Allowing instinct to guide his actions, he fired a Byakurai spell at the arrow, causing it to explode and shower glowing blue particles of reishi.

A Quincy? He thought they were extinct. But that couldn't stop him from believing what his own eyes showed him. Dressed in the High School uniform stood a skinny young man with glasses, a glowing blue bow composed of reishi in his hand.

"I would have hoped to destroy the Hollow without your knowing, but it seems I was mistaken about your identity," he said. "I had no idea there were more Shinigami assigned to this area."

"Who are you?" Tamotsu asked.

"My name is Uryu Ishida. Quincy."

Tamotsu grimaced at the title he gave himself. Unlike the Shinigami who cleansed Hollows and allowed the soul to pass on to the existence in Soul Society, the Quincy destroyed the very essence and existence.

"Quincy," Tamotsu said. "You were supposed to be extinct."

"We almost were. Now if you'll excuse me."

Uryu raised the glowing bow again and shot another arrow. Tamotsu quickly countered it using another Hado spell. The energies collided and exploded sending a glowing blue shower of sparks to the ground.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Uryu asked. "I am trying to take care of that Hollow!"

Tamotsu glared at the Quincy. "Not like that you're not," he said, a hint of venom in his words. "I will not allow you to destroy a Hollow. It should be cleansed so that its spirit can move on to Soul Society."

"Oh, please. None of the other Shinigami here mind. What difference does one Hollow make?"

"It makes all the difference! Don't you understand? Inside every Hollow lies the soul of someone who once lived here in this world. You do not deserve to be the judge of their fate. I won't allow it!"

"Who are you?" Uryu asked. His bow was lowered but still activated. It was clear that he meant to use it whenever an opening was found.

"I am Tamotsu Toshiyuki. Shinigami Reincarnate. And don't pressure me right now, I've had quite enough for today."

"Shinigami… Reincarnate?" Uryu looked a moment before quickly raising his bow again and loosing an arrow.

"NO!" Tamotsu watched as the glowing blue projectile hurtled through the air straight toward its target. There was no time to cast a Hado spell, but there were other ways. Throwing up his hand, Tamotsu erected a Danku shield in front of the Hollow. The arrow hit the shield and shattered on impact.

"What's your problem? One Hollow, even a hundred or a thousand would make no difference and frankly-" Uryu was unable to finish his statement as his hands suddenly were forced by an unseen force behind his back. Tamotsu had silently cast Bakudo number one, Sai, onto the Quincy.

"Never…" Tamotsu said. "Never say that they do not matter. Your narrow view couldn't possibly understand the grander scale of things. Who was that Hollow in life? A teacher? A child? Who would they be in the next life? Or the life after that?"

Blue energy began to swirl around Tamotsu as Uryu watched. He couldn't understand. He had destroyed countless Hollows in the past. Why would one make such a difference? And why did this proposed Shinigami care so much about them?

"If you don't understand," Tamotsu continued, "then I'll just have to show you. But I will not sit back and allow you to destroy something's existence on account of something that it can't be blamed for! Do you hear me? I- won't- _allow it_!"

The energy around Tamotsu burst into a pillar and his spirit and physical body separated. Uryu could only stare. He had seen Ichigo Kurosaki transform into his Shinigami form several times, but that was always from use of some type of tool. He had never seen someone separate at will before. There was no mistaking it though. The black robes, then the whip which he presumed was the Shinigami's zanpakuto wrapped around his shoulder.

"Look out behind you!" Uryu cried as the Hollow advanced quickly.

"_I know_!" Tamotsu cried as he thrust his hand to the side. His closed fist landed squarely in the center of the Hollow's mask. A crack appeared down the center, then spread like a spider web across the entire surface. The Hollow howled and reached to its precious mask, but pieces had already begun to flake away. Dark energy poured from the mask as the howling increased in intensity. Then, it seemed the Hollow's howl began to fade into a scream. A human scream.

The mask on the Hollow shattered. Though it still had the body of a Hollow, the head was now a human's. A young man, about twenty-five years in age with short brown hair was now seen where a skull-like mask had previously been.

"What- what's going on?" the man asked. "These urges… I couldn't control myself… I'm sorry… I'm sorry!"

With a flick of his wrist, Tamotsu released Uryu from the sealing spell. "Now, Quincy," he said. "You face the man behind the mask. Go on. Look him in the eye. Tell him what you are going to do. Tell him that these will be his last moments of existence. That there is nothing but oblivion. That his entire essence will be wiped from the earth for eternity."

"What?" the man said. "No… I don't want that! Please. I want to live. I never found true love, that's why I stayed… But then, this happened… Please don't destroy me!"

"Go on, Quincy!" Tamotsu shouted. "Lift up your arrow. Destroy his very existence! Let his eyes haunt you forever, knowing that you denied him his dream! That you wiped from existence not a Hollow, but a human! Don't you understand? They're humans. They're all humans!"

Uryu looked at the man. He concentrated his energy into forming the bow and raised it. The man cowered, whimpering at the knowledge that he would cease to exist. But the arrow was never loosed. Uryu's hand shook, but he couldn't take his eyes off the face of the man who was behind the mask.

"You can't do it, can you?" Tamotsu asked. "When faced with the fact that you know what it is you're destroying, you can't do it."

"Damn you," Uryu said. His arms relaxed and the bow faded. He just couldn't bring himself to destroy it. He knew if was still a Hollow, but seeing the face behind the mask… He just couldn't do it.

Tamotsu knelt next to the man-Hollow. "I can make it stop," Tamotsu said. "The pain. The emptiness. You can pass on to the next life. Trust me."

"But I've killed so many in this form," the man said. "How can I possibly know peace?"

Tamotsu unraveled the whip from around his body. "This is a zanpakuto," he explained. "It has a special blade that cleanses you of the sins performed while you were a Hollow. When that is done, you will go to Soul Society. No more pain. No more hunger. You can live in peace."

"I can still move on?"

Tamotsu nodded. The man nodded and braced himself. The whip began to glow, taking the form of a sword. "Be cleansed," Tamotsu said. "And be at peace." He thrust the glowing blade into the exposed chest of the man, just above where the hole of the Hollow was. The man began to glow, then dissolve into glowing blue particles.

"I feel… at peace."

Uryu stared as the last remnants of the spiritual particles faded, then formed into a black butterfly that fluttered away.

"You two," Tamotsu said, addressing the two Pluses that had moved into view. "I can send you over as well, if you would like. The blade will not have to touch you. Would you like to move on?"

Nervously, the Pluses moved forward and nodded. The blade had formed into the whip again, and Tamotsu lifted the hilt and placed it on the foreheads of the two Pluses. A glowing kanji symbol for "burial" appeared on their foreheads and they sank into a circle of blue light.

"Uryu Ishida," Tamotsu said. "You now know full well what the difference between you and me. I will not allow you to destroy the existence of Hollows in my presence. I hope that someday you will find the means, and the will, to cleanse them."

Uryu was speechless. There was nothing he could say to the Shinigami. He had never seen such compassion, and in the end it was that compassion that ended up saving the Hollow. The Quincy possessed no means of transferring souls to the next existence. All they knew was destruction. Was he wrong all this time? Was there any possible way that the Quincy's arrow could be changed to resemble a Shinigami's blade? He couldn't get the image out of his mind of the Hollow's face revealing the human behind it. The fear and disappointment in itself. Were all Hollows like this? And who was this Shinigami?

Bringing himself out of his thoughts, Uryu found himself alone. The Shinigami was gone, along with his body. He hadn't seen or heard him leave, but he still felt his presence. As much as he despised it, he would have to approach his father and discuss the matter he had just witnessed.

Above on a rooftop, Rangiku Matsumoto had witnessed the entire event. She had trailed her brother, not knowing if he would need her help in this situation. He wouldn't have appreciated it, but it now was proven in her mind that he could take care of himself.

Tamotsu had grown up before her eyes in the past year. Physically, emotionally and mentally. It seemed that she was no longer needed here. She was allowed to stay in the world of the Living until she deemed Tamotsu capable of taking care of matters for himself. Now, that time had come. She couldn't leave without saying goodbye. So she would have to find the time for that.

The next day, Rangiku decided, she would return to Soul Society.

* * *

><p>Tamotsu walked into a bar, finding a seat next to an English man in a black leather jacket. He sat next to the man and sighed.<p>

"Just give me whatever's cheapest," Tamotsu said. "And leave the bottle."

The bartender placed a small sipping bowl and a bottle of sake in front of Tamotsu, who proceeded to pour and stared at the clear liquid.

"Not much of a drinker, are you?" the man next to Tamotsu asked. He had a strong English accent, but seemed to be in the same type of mood as Tamotsu was. "Neither am I for that matter."

"Yeah," Tamotsu said. He didn't really care what the man thought, so Tamotsu just decided to talk. Maybe a complete stranger could ease the pressure on his mind a bit. "You ever get the feeling you've lived too long? Maybe you've had more lifetimes than you should?"

"Oh, I know that feeling all too well," the man responded. "I just found out I'm the last of my kind. All alone in the universe."

"I've got so many things I wish I could just forget. Have a simple life. I used to have that. Now I've got memories from three lifetimes."

The man laughed. "Nine for me," he said. "So what do you do?"

Tamotsu picked up the glass and rotated it, watching the subtle changes on the liquid's surface. "I'm an artist. Painter. Protector. Fight monsters. You?"

"A traveler of sorts. I help people. Fight monsters too." The man lifted his own glass for a toast. "To us. A couple of guys who have lived too long and fight monsters."

Tamotsu lifted his own glass and met the man's. "To the past. And the future."

The two met the toast and drank their first shot. The man then reached into his pocket and pulled something out. It was a type of gummy candy Tamotsu had not seen before. "Here. Would you like a Jelly Baby? Its my last one."

Tamotsu took the candy and looked at it before eating it. "Thank you," he said.

"Well, I really should be going," the man said. Pulling out a card, he gave it to Tamotsu. On one corner was a blue box of some sort. "If you ever need a Doctor just give me a call."

"A doctor, huh? Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor."

* * *

><p>NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR<p>

There's a few things in this chapter I was really looking forward to writing. First off, Tamotsu's past life as Vincent Van Gough. I wanted him to have a past life as a famous painter, and Van Gough matched it perfectly. Also, his death in 1890 coincided perfectly for when Tamotsu was born in Soul Society. Secondly, the encounter with Uryu Ishida. Of course he wouldn't want anything to be completely destroyed, so he felt he had to show Uryu the true nature of the Hollows. Lastly, I wanted to throw something in for the general sci-fi fans out there and was debating on how to put the Doctor in. Hope you enjoyed it, comments are always welcome!


	31. The White Butterfly

Miki Saegusa paced in her apartment. Her brother Takeo had left earlier that day and she couldn't stop thinking about what was going on. She had always believed that her gift, being able to hear people's thoughts, was a rare form of telepathy but nothing beyond that. Now, she wasn't so sure.

It had begun several years previous. Thinking back, there seemed to be more than what she had first thought. Miki found herself touching the scar on her left thigh. She had been attacked by something, but brushed it off as nothing more than bad luck. She had been knocked down, being hit in the leg, but couldn't see anything when she looked up. Nothing there, but after that she began to see things. And now she was certain. The thing that hit her on that fateful night had to be a Hollow.

Miki had always prided herself on having a sharp mind. She could often see patterns and make calculations easily. Everything seemed to start coming faster after that night. Then she began hearing voices. Scared at first, she then realized she could hear people's thoughts. Believing others would think her crazy, she kept this to herself until she was able to sharpen the skill.

Her telepathy had helped her when Takeo lost his voice. He told her that a beast, a Hollow, attacked him and nearly tore out his throat. In his regular form he looked normal, but when he became a Shinigami the scars were present. Soon after the incident, Miki began to believe there was something more to her gift. There had to be a connection.

Without knowing it, she heard the name Urahara in Takeo's thoughts. Apparently, he was someone who assisted people like Takeo. Shinigami and, more recently, humans who regain memories of being Shinigami. There was no one she knew of that had any knowledge of what was happening to her, and she needed answers.

Finally, she decided she had to go to Karakura Town and speak with this Urahara man. She had to know what was happening to her. And once she understood that, maybe she would be able to easier understand what Takeo himself was going through.

* * *

><p>Naomi Kanagawa sat on a bench in Urahara's shop. Yoruichi was in her cat form, allowing herself to be pet by Naomi. The girl was coming to terms quickly with her past life, but still had some issues to deal with. She hadn't changed into her Shinigami form since they returned from Soul Society the week previous and everything showed that she didn't really seem to care about it. If anything, she seemed happy just to have somewhere to stay where people didn't treat her strangely.<p>

It was relatively quiet when Rangiku entered. She was alone, dressed in her Shinigami robes. She didn't say anything, but went quietly to the back of the room.

Urahara approached her and sat down. "Rangiku," he said. "How did everything go?"

Rangiku sat silently for another moment before answering. "My idea turned out to be a bad one," she said. "He didn't need to go there. I might have just made things worse. And his power... I don't think he needs me here anymore."

Naomi looked up at that remark and stopped petting her kitty. Yoruichi saw her opportunity to leave and jumped down so that she could change back into her human form.

"Ah, Rangiku," Urahara said. "You knew all along this day would come. You can't hold his hand forever. But remember, its not like you'll never see him again. I'm sure he could use the Senkaimon to visit Soul Society."

"You didn't see him," Rangiku said. "He was so upset and distraught. I'm not sure I'll ever see him smile again."

It was at that time that the front door to the shop flew open, Tamotsu standing in it waving his hand wide. "Helloooo everyone!" he called out, his voice heavily slurred. "What a night it's been, huh?" Taking a couple of steps, it was clear he could barely maintain his balance. The reason was due to the mostly empty bottle of sake he was holding in his opposite hand. "Hey, sister. Who would've thought? I'm a famous artist!"

Tamotsu took a couple more steps and slumped over a barrel of candy, catching Naomi in his sight. "Hey there, Naomi. You know, have you ever thought of wearing something other than black?" Righting himself, Tamotsu took a long sip from his bottle and stumbled backward laughing.

"See, Rangiku?" Urahara said. "And you thought he'd never smile again."

Masao Rin entered the room and looked at the scene before him. "Is he drunk?" Masao asked.

"That's right, Masao," Tamotsu said. "I am completely wasted right now!"

"I see," Masao said. He turned and was about to leave the room when he saw Goro leaning in. "That's the one whose supposed to be our leader," Masao whispered.

Goro looked as Tamotsu presented a toast and took another long sip. Goro couldn't believe it. All of his research and careful study showed that Tamotsu Toshiyuki was supposed to be the one who could best help with the issue of being a Reincarnate. He couldn't remember too many of his memories but was able to separate once. It was difficult to imagine that all of his efforts were wasted on a drunken kid.

Shaking his head, Goro left the room. "Hey, where you going?" Tamotsu asked, trying to stand. "Don't be a downer, this is my first time drinking!" It seemed that Goro didn't hear his last comment. "You think you got it rough? Consider yourself lucky you can only remember a few of your memories. I can remember everything. You know what that's like? Spoil sport..."

Tamotsu lifted his bottle again, this time finding it empty. Tossing it to the side, he took a couple of steps and stumbled over his own feet.

"Maybe you should go lie down," Urahara said. "Don't want to overdo it."

"You know what," Tamotsu said. "That's a good idea. Maybe I'll lie down for a bit. Good night, everyone!" With that, Tamotsu fell forward and face planted hard on the ground. Everyone rushed to see if he was all right, only to find him fast asleep with a big smile on his face.

Rangiku smiled. "I think that went pretty well for his first time getting drunk," she said.

* * *

><p>Masao sat across from Goro and Ayame in another room far from Urahara and the other Shinigami. All had stern looks on their faces.<p>

"I'm sorry we doubted you, Masao Rin," Goro said. "Everything we researched pointed to Tamotsu Toshiyuki. But he can't help us. That's obvious now."

"And we were so sure of it," Ayame added. "I can't believe we failed to see what he is. Obviously he does not have the maturity to be the leader for people like us."

"That's what I've been saying all along," Masao said. "The Soul Society doesn't care about us enough to send proper leadership. And I heard that Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto will be leaving to return to Soul Society. Kisuke Urahara was banished over a hundred years ago. We can't trust any of them."

The trio sat back, contemplating the situation. It was clear that Soul Society was not what they remembered it to be. But what could they do? Masao seemed to be the only one with a level head about the whole thing, despite his seemingly wild accusations. Maybe he was right about the Soul Society. About Tamotsu. About everything, it seemed.

"What do you plan on doing?" Goro asked.

Masao leaned forward. "We have to wait for Rangiku to leave. If we do anything before that, she'll report us for sure. We have to show the Soul Society that we will not be ignored."

"You're planning on invading?" Ayame asked. "Just the three of us?"

"There are others," Masao answered. "Other Reincarnates who were once strong Shinigami. One that was killed by his own subordinate, another who was abandoned by his Captain like I was. We can recruit them. Their memories are probably more complete than ours, so they'll know how to get in."

"And once we're inside?" Goro asked.

"We show them that we will not be ignored. That we deserve retribution for what was done to us. We'll have a voice that will demand attention. They'll listen. Believe me. They'll listen."

* * *

><p>Tamotsu stirred in his bed. It was morning, that much was clear. But that was the only thing that was clear in his mind. His vision was blurred and his head pounded. He hadn't cared about the effects of the narcotic the night before, he only wanted to have a release from his strain.<p>

Looking over to a short stack of blank canvases to the side of his bed, Tamotsu saw something sitting on top of the fabric. It looked like some sort of butterfly. Was it glowing? Or was it just the sunlight shining off of it? Straining to see, it appeared to have the shape of a Jigokucho. But this one was white with gold trim on its back wings. A white Jigokucho?

_Your power is awakening,_ the butterfly said. _But you still have much more. The time will soon come when you know who you truly are._

The butterfly walked over to Tamotsu and extended its head. Touching Tamotsu, a brilliant flash of light appeared. When the light faded, Tamotsu found himself alone in the room. Everything was in focus and the butterfly was gone. Had he imagined it? He had to have. There was no such thing as a white Jigokucho, was there? And Tamotsu knew who he was. He knew all about his power. It had to be a dream. That's right. Just the dream of a drunken stupor. Wasn't it?

Emerging from his room, Tamotsu stretched. He felt good, a lot better than he had in a long time. Fully rested and his mind was clear from distractions. After being so distraught the night before he expected to have a lot more on his mind, but he seemed to have accepted everything.

Moving through the halls, Tamotsu found Naomi walking down the hall. She was in her normal color of black with makeup to match and upon seeing him turned the other way.

"Naomi, wait," Tamotsu called as he ran to catch up with her. "Naomi, I just want to apologize about last night. I probably came off as a complete jerk."

Naomi looked at Tamotsu squarely and folded her arms. She said nothing but her expression read as a sarcastic, _You think so, huh?_

"I shouldn't be one to judge and I apologize for my comments. You can go ahead and dress however you'd like. That's a very nice dress you have on. Very... elegant."

Naomi smiled approvingly and gave a quick curtsey as a dismissal.

Tamotsu walked to the front of the store and found Urahara with Rangiku. "Good morning, you two," he said.

"You seem to have recovered quickly since last night," Rangiku commented. "Better than I usually do."

Tamotsu was about to mention the white Jigokucho, but decided against it. Instead, he changed the topic. "So where'd everyone else go?" he asked. "I know Masao, Goro and Ayame were here last night."

"They said they'd be going out for a bit, but didn't give any specifics."

"Huh. Oh, well. I'm gonna head out and see about some of my paintings. See if anythings turned up. See you later." With that, Tamotsu walked out of the doorway without a second glance.

"He certainly seems to be in a good mood," Urahara said. "You know the time has come, right?"

Rangiku sighed. "I know," she said.

* * *

><p>Tamotsu entered the art shop whistling a tune. He approached the counter to find Hiroko Nakamura finishing a sale. She smiled when she saw Tamotsu enter.<p>

"I was beginning to worry," she said. "You haven't been in here in a long time. What's going on?"

"Doing a little bit of soul searching," Tamotsu responded with a smile. "I'm thinking of trying some new projects. What would you think of Karakura Town at night done VanGough style?"

Hiroko laughed. "That style is pretty hard to pull off. Think you could do it?"

"I'm sure I could."

"Tamotsu. Before I forget, here's payment for the paintings that sold." Hiroko handed a sealed envelope to Tamotsu. "They haven't been selling as often, but there's still a few interested people. Maybe if you've got a few more we could sell those and then you can go do whatever you'd like."

Tamotsu took the envelope and smiled. "Thank you, Hiroko. I'll see about bringing some things by soon." Turning to leave, Tamotsu saw a thin young man enter wearing a Karakura High School uniform. His heart skipped a beat when their eyes met and it was clear that the surprise was mutual. "Oh, ah, hey there, Uuryu."

Uuryu Ishida nodded in affirmation. "Tamotsu Toshiyuki. I would presume those are your paintings in the window."

"They are. Hey, look. I just want to apologize about last night. I've just had a lot to deal with lately. Sorry about attacking you the way I did."

"Not to worry," Uuryu responded. "I probably deserved it. All that time without knowing full well what I was dealing with."

"So no hard feelings then?"

"No."

"Very well."

"Fine."

"Carry on."

"That I will."

The two separated without a second glance. Tamotsu assumed that was the closest he could come to actual friendship with the Quincy. Perhaps he did overreact just a bit. But it seemed all was well and he could continue on as he normally would.

* * *

><p>It was after a half hour of wandering aimlessly that Tamotsu found himself walking next to the river on the outskirts of town. Looking down, he saw a tall orange-haired student who wore the Karakura Town High School uniform. He remembered him as being named Ichigo Kurosaki.<p>

"Hey, Ichigo," Tamotsu called out as he ran down the hill to the bank of the river. Ichigo turned and waved smiling.

"Hey, there," Ichigo said. "Tamotsu, right?"

"That's right. So what brings you here?"

Ichigo sighed. "This place has a lot of meaning for me."

Tamotsu closed his eyes and opened his mind, taking in the air. "Your mother died here," he said. Ichigo turned with a jolt just as Tamotsu realized what he said. "Sorry! I'm sorry. Didn't mean to intrude. I've been blurting stuff out lately."

Ichigo smiled warmly. "Its okay," he said. "I've come to terms with what happened. What happened in the past stays in the past, right?"

"In a matter of speaking. The past kind of has different meanings for me."

"I suppose it does."

The two stood for a moment enjoying the peace until a familiar dark energy snapped them back to reality. "A Hollow," Ichigo said. Pulling out the wooden Combat Pass, Ichigo pressed it to his chest and transformed into his Shinigami mode. Tamotsu felt around, realizing once again he was without a means of changing. "Tamotsu, use my combat pass."

Tamotsu was about to reach for the pass but paused. "Hang on a second," he said. "I want to try something." Closing his eyes and concentrating, Tamotsu's body tensed. A second later, his body and spirit separated with a flash of light. "Hey, it worked!"

Ichigo stared in surprise for a moment, but turned as he sensed the Hollow approaching. "Damn Hollows," he said. "Always coming in when they're least wanted." Reaching over his shoulder, Ichigo grabbed the hilt of his zanpakuto and it came unsheathed from its wrapping. Tamotsu reached for the handle of his own zanpakuto wrapped around him in its whip released form, then stopped.

"Ichigo, wait," Tamotsu said. "Not like this."

"Huh? What do you mean not like this? This is exactly what we're supposed to do!"

"I can sense your anger toward the Hollow. Why? Is it just because its a Hollow? I can't look at a Hollow with anger, I'm sorry."

The Hollow was visible now, flying around in circles until the two Shinigami came into view. Ichigo readied himself into a fighting stance, but Tamotsu stopped him by placing his hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

"Please, Ichigo," Tamotsu said. "Let me handle this my own way."

Reluctantly, Ichigo lowered his zanpakuto to his side. "All right, but if something happens it your own fault and I'm coming in."

Tamotsu ran out a few paces in front and caught the Hollow's attention.

"You are foolish not to attack me, Shinigami," the Hollow said.

"Hollow," Tamotsu said. "Why are you here?"

The Hollow descended quickly and landed on the ground before Tamotsu. "Isn't it obvious? I am a Hollow. I do what I do."

"You were not always a Hollow, were you? What happened? What changed you?"

The Hollow laughed. "Nonsense. I was- I... was..." The Hollow's glowing eyes flickered behind its mask and it shook its head.

"You were once a human spirit," Tamotsu said, taking a step forward. "Something happened to you. You lost something in your heart. Tell me. What did you lose?"

"I... lost..." The Hollow began shaking its head violently as the internal struggle progressed.

Tamotsu took another step forward. "Let me help you. You don't have to go on with this hunger. I can make it stop."

"My hunger... will stop... once I have eaten you!" The Hollow lunged forward and a cloud of dirt exploded around the two.

"Tamotsu!" Ichigo cried out. A flash of red appeared within the dust, illuminating the shadows of the Shinigami and the Hollow, then settled. Tamotsu stood, his head placed on the mask of the Hollow with a hole blown through it.

"I didn't want it to end this way," Tamotsu said. "I know your pain, and I wanted to end it for you. There has to be another way. As Shinigami, it is our job to cleanse you so that you can pass on. But it seems in vain unless I know what is inside of what remains of your heart."

The hollow began to dissolve around the impact of Tamotsu's kido spell, a delayed cry of pain escaping from its throat.

"One day, I promise you, I will find what is missing from your hearts and help you find it once again."

The Hollow finished dissolving and Ichigo approached. "Why didn't you do that from the beginning?"

Tamotsu closed his eyes. "I just feel like I have to know," he said. "The majority of Hollows are not like this by choice. Something happened to them. I... I have to know what that is."

Tamotsu tried to comprehend why he was thinking this way. Of course, he knew where the Hollows came from. He knew that they were cleansed by a Shinigami's reiatsu. But why did he have to know what specifically caused them to become Hollows? Something was lost in their heart. What was lost becomes represented by a hole and to hide themselves they develop a mask.

That was how a Hollow was formed, but why was it formed? Was it something to do with the white Jigokucho that he saw earlier that day? Did it do something to his mind? Or was this something he genuinely wanted to know for himself?

Tamotsu's thoughts were interrupted when he felt another presence approaching. Looking up, he found that it was Rangiku.

"Hello, Kiyoshi," Rangiku said.

"Rangiku?" Tamotsu responded. "What are you doing here?"

Rangiku looked sad, but held her composure. "The time has come where you no longer need me here. You've proven that you can handle things on your own. I just wanted to say goodbye before I returned to Soul Society."

"You're leaving?"

Rangiku nodded. "We both knew this was only temporary. That I would only be able to stay until I knew you could handle your mission on your own. You have grown strong, Kiyoshi. A lot stronger and a lot faster than I ever could have imagined."

Tamotsu approached his sister to find that she was beginning to shed tears. "I understand, Rangiku. You have fulfilled your mission here and now have to return."

Rangiku forced a smile, then pulled Tamotsu into a loving embrace. "Come visit sometime, okay?" she said. Tamotsu returned the loving gesture and promised that he would. Letting go, Rangiku took a step backward and unsheathed her zanpakuto. Sticking it outward into the air, it seemed to enter an invisible lock. With a turn, the Senkaimon opened.

Stepping into the light, Rangiku allowed herself one final look as the gate closed behind her. The light from the Senkaimon faded and the reality of the situation reached Tamotsu. His sister had left him in full charge of the Reincarnates. She was always strong and if she believed him to be able to handle the task he would take on the responsibility.

"You know," Ichigo said. "Its still kind of hard for me to comprehend her using a different name for you than everyone else."

Tamotsu laughed as he walked back to his body and stepped into it. "I'm getting used to it. I've lived several lifetimes. I remember two past lives clearly and have images of others. The past kind of has different meanings for me."

Ichigo smiled. He wasn't sure exactly what was going on but he didn't have to.

* * *

><p>Rangiku Matsumoto walked to the large doors of the First Division office and knocked. The sound resonated through the halls.<p>

"Enter," Captain Commander Yamamoto said from the other side.

Rangiku opened the door and walked several steps before bowing before Yamamoto on one knee.

"Lieutenant Matsumoto. What do you need?"

Still looking down, partially in respect and partially pleading, Rangiku answered. "Captain Commander Yamamoto. I would like to discuss with you a proposition."

Yamamoto opened his eyes slightly. "We are very busy with what has been happening in Soul Society. What type of proposition do you have in mind?"

"I would like to make a proposal concerning my brother, the Reincarnate."


	32. The New Fullbring

The train slowed and then stopped at the Karakura Town central station. Miki Saegusa exited the car, taking in the sight of the small city. She wasn't used to a station that was not constantly busy with guests. She could only guess that the majority of the passengers were passing through. But she knew that this was where she would find her brother. And this was where she could find answers to her abilities.

She could feel Takeo's presence, but still moved slowly as she exited the station. She could always know where he was at any given moment when she was close to him. The central district reminded Miki of a rural setting. Not the most high-tech or advanced, but it seemed cozy enough. She could tell why Takeo wanted to stay here, even if it had nothing to do with his Shinigami ordeal.

There was something else that Miki could sense in the air. Almost like a power. It was similar to what she felt around Takeo, but different. Could it be energy drawn from whatever gave her this new power? Opening her mind, she could see various colors of energy. Many places glowed brightly in shades of blue and yellow with other colors thrown in as well. Looking at the people, most of them had very little light within them. But what was it?

Shaking her head, her vision returned to normal. _What happened just then?_ she thought. _Had I looked into another realm? A different dimension or reality?_ Shaking her head again Miki focused her thoughts. She had to find out what was going on. What the truth with her brother was. And what the truth about herself was.

She walked aimlessly for half an hour before having to sit and rest. Not so much for the physical exhaustion, but more for trying to take in this energy she kept seeing. Closing her eyes she tried to shake the world of color away. But with her eyes closed, it became more bright and vivid.

Emotion finally overcame her. She had thought she had seen the colors before, but dismissed it as simply imagination. "Why?" she asked out loud. "Why is this happening to me?"

"Seeing strange things I take it?" a man behind her asked. Turning around, Miki looked at a man wearing a black and green kimono with wooden sandals that made a clacking sound as he walked. His face, from what she could see behind his dark hat and ice cream bar he was eating, was kind. Focusing on the energy she now knew she could see, she looked and saw that the man was filled with bright energy. Brighter than she had ever seen in anyone.

"Who are you?" Miki asked.

The man sat down next to Miki and licked his ice cream bar a few times before answering. "Oh, I believe you know who I am," the man said. "Your brother is Takeo Saegusa, am I right?"

Miki gasped. "How do you-"

"Your reiatsu and his are similar," the man said, placing his hand in front of her.

"You... You're Kisuke Urahara aren't you?"

The man chuckled in response. "Right you are."

"How did you find me?"

"I could feel your presence when you entered the city," Urahara said. "It wasn't really all that difficult. But you should learn to control such power better."

Miki shifted in her seat and took a breath. "I'm not like my brother," she said. "I can see things. Hear things. But I don't remember things like he does."

Urahara looked at Miki with increased focus. "So what can you do then?"

"I can hear people's thoughts. And when I came here, I started seeing colors. Bright color everywhere. You glow brightly with color and power. What is this?"

Urahara sat back and sighed. "It would seem that you are not a Reincarnate," he said. "Your ability is unique, but if I'm right about you then that shouldn't be a problem."

"What are you saying?"

"Tell me. Have you come into physical contact with a Hollow?"

Miki looked down at her thigh and traced the scars under her clothing. No words were needed.

"I see. Come with me. There are a couple of people I would like for you to meet."

Miki looked up excitedly. "People like me? Who can see and hear what I do?"

"Not exactly. Each person's ability is as unique as the person themselves. But the source of their power is the same."

"This... power. Does it have a name?"

"Everyone gives their own unique name to their power. It wasn't until recently we came across a collective name for this type of ability."

Miki's pulse quickened. Already she was gaining answers, but knew there were several more questions that will appear in the future. "What is the name of this power?"

Kisuke's eyes narrowed, then he gave the answer to the first of her questions. "It is called Fullbring."

* * *

><p>The park was quiet as Masao led Goro and Ayame into a more secluded area surrounded by trees. He had to get away from prying eyes in order to formulate his plan. It would not be easy, but he was sure that the result would outweigh any risk.<p>

"Here's good," Masao said, stopping in the shade of a tree. "We can speak freely here."

"You seem to be quite confident in yourself, Masao Rin," Goro said. "Are you certain we couldn't speak with someone with connections and gain more information?"

Masao snorted. "The only others are too far in league with the Soul Society. Urahara is too smart to try prying information from. He would sense our intention and alert Soul Society."

"So you intend to invade secretly then," Ayame said, coming to the conclusion. "That would require access to the Senkaimon. Also, we would have to transform into our Shinigami forms."

"Each of us has changed at least once, I'm sure," Goro said. "But it was in extreme circumstances. I doubt we'll be able to change again."

Masao sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "This will be the first obstacle to overcome. We can't risk our own lives for a forced separation. I was able to separate, but that was due to a modified soul that Urahara created. It is said that Ichigo Kurosaki has a badge which separates him from his body. One of these would have to suffice."

"You intend to steal?" Ayame said. "We cannot allow that. We may be Reincarnates and side with you, but we are also Officers of the Law. If you break and enter, and cause theft, we will have to take action."

Masao stiffened. "First of all, you are not in your jurisdiction. You said so yourself that you sought out Tamotsu Toshiyuki. I find it highly unlikely that you were in Karakura Town to begin with. Secondly, the role of a Shinigami goes above what your jobs are in this mortal realm. Do you deny this?"

Neither Ayame nor Goro responded. It was true that they were not assigned Karakura Town. If they enforced their actions here, they would suffer consequences. Also, as Shinigami, they caused collateral damage to the towns and cities where they slew Hollows. They were not one to speak about things that were unlawful.

"I see your point," Goro finally said. "You have our support. But we cannot join with you in your venture on us reclaiming our Shinigami forms."

"That's good enough."

"What else is there we need to do?"

"There are others in the city who have regained their memories but chose not to join this Reincarnate deal. We'll have to recruit them to our cause. Then, once we have sufficient numbers, we'll make our move."

Ayame nodded. "Fair enough," she said. "Where do we go first?"

* * *

><p>The interior of the dojo was hot with hours of sweat as Tatsuki kicked a target stationed in the center of the room. The class had gotten out only minutes before but she stayed in order to blow off some of her own steam. Hajime had lectured her about her attitude with the class several times, insisting she was too strict. Her first encounter with Tamotsu Toshiyuki had humbled her a bit, but she was finding it easy to fall back without someone at her skill or above to spar with.<p>

Another two kicks for accuracy, then Tatsuki swung around backward with a sweeping hook kick and knocked the target down. She was bored, eager for a challenge. A rematch with Tamotsu would be nice, but she remembered seeing what his fury was like. He was strong, but he had the heart and patience that made him a good leader. Things had been up and down with him from what she had heard, but she couldn't forget about that first match they had. Impromptu as it was, and meant mostly for fun rather than trying to knock each other unconscious, it was still the greatest challenge she had faced.

Tatsuki picked up the pad from the floor and reset it. She heard the chime of the doorway and turned to face three adults. Two men and one woman, each of them wearing a serious expression.

"Excuse me," the lead man said. "We are looking for Hajime. Is he here?"

Breathing heavily, Tatsuki walked up to the group. "Sensei Hajime is out. I'm Tatsuki Arisawa, his right hand instructor," she said. "I'll be able to answer any questions you have."

"I'm sorry," the man said. "But we need to speak with Hajime directly. We'll come back later."

The group turned to leave and were interrupted by Tatsuki. "I know why you're here," she said. "And he still doesn't want to come with you."

"Now how do you know why we're here, little girl?" the lead man said.

Tatsuki sighed. "I can feel your reiatsu. Its similar to someone else I know. He's been here already and has spoken with Sensei Hajime. A Reincarnate, I believe you call yourselves."

The man approached sternly. "We need him," he said. "And if he won't come willingly we'll have to change his mind."

"Are you threatening my Sensei?" Tatsuki's eyes narrowed. "Nobody threatens my Sensei."

"I'll do whatever I please, little girl!"

The man took another three steps toward Tatsuki, only to find himself suddenly being flipped around and landing on his back.

"Rule number one," Tatsuki said. "Shoes off while on the carpet."

The man grunted as he rolled over and removed his shoes. "Very well. We'll play it your way, girl!" Lunging forward, the man found himself in a strangle hold. He was shocked by Tatsuki's speed and was unable to maneuver out.

"Rule number two. You will address me as Sensei."

Throwing the man across the room, Tatsuki readied herself. The man was persistent, but completely reckless. Standing up, he put his fists up and matched Tatsuki's ready stance. Running forward, he found himself being tripped and suddenly rolling out the door and onto the concrete of the sidewalk. Standing up, he saw Tatsuki still inside the dojo.

"Rule number three. If you want another lesson, make an appointment!" Ushering the other two out, Tatsuki closed and locked the door to the dojo and switched the sign to _closed_. Walking across the carpet she grabbed a towel and rubbed it through her hair. "Idiot. He should take some pointers from Tamotsu."

* * *

><p>Masao shrugged off as Goro and Ayame tried to assist him to his feet.<p>

"Great going there, Chief," Goro said sarcastically. "Doing a hell of a job convincing us that this is a good idea."

"You expect us to go against the Captains of the Gotei Thirteen and you get your ass kicked by a teenage girl?" Ayame added.

"I remember her," Masao said. "She's the top in her league in Japan. And I'm out of practice."

"Oh," Goro said. "So she'd probably get taken out in about five seconds from a Captain and you say all we need to do is practice. Makes perfect sense."

"Its these human forms," Masao said. "We can't move like we should while in them. If I were in Shinigami form I would have beaten her."

"Don't make us second guess you, Masao," Ayame commented. "You're gonna have to come up with something big."

"I will," Masao scoweled. "I swear to you, I will..."

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry I can't help you directly, Miki," Urahara said as he walked down the residential district. "But I know of two people who can."<p>

"Why can't you help me?" Miki asked, trying to keep up with the man.

"Oh, its not that I don't want to. Its just that I lack a Fullbring ability myself and therefore can't teach you how to handle it. Here we are."

The two stopped in front of a small, two-story building. Stepping up to the door, Urahara knocked. After a moment, a young orange-haired girl answered the door. She was quite cute, Miki thought. Skinny and with a bosom that seemed a bit too large for her size but a cute face.

"Orihime, I'm glad you're home," Urahara said.

"Mr. Urahara," Orihime said. "What are you doing here? Is something wrong? Whenever you come here something's always wrong. Is it Ichigo? Is he all right? Tell me Ichigo's all right!"

Miki was taken back by the girl's attitude. She seemed to jump to conclusions quickly enough.

"Don't worry, this has nothing to do with Ichigo," Urahara said as he waved his hands in dismissal. "He's fine. There is someone I would like you to meet, though. Orihime Inoue, I'd like you to meet Miki Saegusa."

Orihime smiled widely and offered her hand in greeting. "Hello, Miki," she said. "Nice to meet you."

Miki took the hand and gave a friendly handshake.

"But Mr. Urahara, why do you say I need to meet her?"

"Nobody said you had to, Orihime," Urahara responded. "But I do believe it will be in the best interest of both of you. You see, Miki here has a special ability. And I need you and Sado to work with her."

"An ability?" Orihime asked. "You mean to say-"

Urahara nodded. "X-Cution may be gone, but there are still others with a Fullbring ability. I believe Miss Saegusa is one of them."

* * *

><p>The alley was dark and the streetlamps lit themselves. Goro and Ayame waited in the shadows. Masao had left earlier to find some means of changing them into Shinigami form once again. It would have been too difficult to cause a forced separation, but Masao gave a listing of various means.<p>

"He's been gone a long time," Ayame said. "Goro, are you sure this is a good idea? Seriously, it seems a fool's gamble what he's proposing."

"I know he has personal reasons for this," Goro responded. "I don't think this will succeed, but I don't see another option at the moment. He may be doing this for his own purposes, but I haven't been able to find anything on Urahara. I'd rather go with an uncertainty than place my faith blindly. As for Toshiyuki, you saw him. That isn't the type of person I want to follow. Masao is the only path of finding out who we were."

Ayame nodded. "That's true."

The two waited another ten minutes before they felt a familiar presence. It was Masao, walking cautiously along the sidewalk. Even though they were the only ones on the street, they still felt uneasy.

"I got them," Masao said. Extending his hand, he revealed three small green pills. "We'll have to act quickly once we take them."

Each of the three Reincarnates took one of the pills and examined them. "Where did you get these?" Ayame asked.

Masao turned away. "We have them," he said. "That's all that matters." He knew there was no turning back now. He only wondered how long it would take for them to be found out. And what everyone's reaction would be to a stuffed turtle, chicken and rabbit purse being torn apart in a back room of Urahara's shop.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes from the Author<strong>

**An entire chapter and Tamotsu wasn't more than mentioned?! Can't say this was exactly planned, but I'd like to hear what you all have to say about it. Sorry for the lapse between chapters, but things will be picking up soon. Thanks for reading**


	33. Parting Ways

The night air was warm, the hum of electric lights the only sound as Tamotsu walked down the street. It had been a long time since he was able to just enjoy time by himself. With all that had happened in the past weeks, he had spent so much time worrying about who he was that he had forgotten who he is.

True, Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya had reinstated him as the Third Seat of the Tenth Division of the Gotei Thirteen, but Tamotsu didn't feel like he was obligated to take up the position. First and foremost, he was a human. Not a Shinigami. He was an artist. He had to work for a living. That was who he was.

Walking almost aimlessly and lost in thought, Tamotsu found himself in front of Urahara's shop. It seemed strange to look at it. He hadn't even known its existence a month ago. So many things had changed since then. Taking a breath, he continued walking.

An hour later, Tamostu found himself watching the flowing current of a stream he had seen so many times before. The sound of the running water calmed his mind and he thought of days past. It was something he had done several times before, but always with anxiety. Now, he sat calmly. Now was the time to contemplate who he was.

Option number one was that he was Tamotsu Toshiyuki. The painter. The loner. Just about his only friend was more of a business partner and supervisor who sold his artwork. Much of his art never sold. Until his memories came back. Memories of a past life.

Option number two was that he was Kiyoshi Matsumoto, given the name later by Gin Ichimaru of Tamotsu Toshiyuki. He hadn't known why Captain Ichimaru had done it to him, but it seemed important to the man. As a Shinigami, Tamotsu had friends. He had a sister. But only from his life before. She wasn't his sister now, but he couldn't help but view Rangiku in any other way.

The powers and special abilities taken away, he found that he was actually happier with his life that way. In his past life in Soul Society he was unable to do much due to the seal that held his power, but he always had someone to talk to and who would listen. Even Hanataro, his first friend when he was finally able to join the Gotei Thirteen. Hanataro was incompetent in most aspects, but always tried his best.

"You're calm," a woman's voice said behind him, turning Tamotsu's thoughts back to reality. He turned to see that Hinohebi was standing in a relaxed position against a tree.

"And its been a while since you've manifest yourself, Hinohebi," Tamotsu said.

"There was never a reason for me to," Hinohebi answered. She walked around the bench and sat next to her master. "You've been through a lot. I can sense everything in your heart, Tamotsu. Every joy, every sorrow. They can easily become my own."

"So why did you choose to manifest now?" Tamotsu asked. There was nothing in his tone of voice to suggest irritation or concern. It was purely curiosity.

Hinohebi gave a soft laugh. "Have I ever needed a reason?" she said, answering his question with another question. "Your concerns are valid, and its hard for me to know exactly how you feel."

"In all that time you were waiting. From when I died in Soul Society to when I regained my memories. Did you ever think that I would remember who you were?"

Hinohebi turned away and looked at the flowing water. "I thought about that all the time. When I felt your reiatsu after you came to existence in this world, I wanted to be with you again. I looked after you, hoping that you would one call my name. And if not in this life, I would have stayed with you until the life after. And the life after that, and the one after that."

Tamotsu laughed. "Are all zanpakuto like that?"

Hinohebi shook her head. "Its all a personal choice as to who we choose our masters to be. Many times we go a long time without finding one who can speak our name. Rarer still, one who can speak our true name. The name you call Bankai."

"Hinohebi. Will you ever allow me to use your Bankai state again?"

Hinohebi sighed and closed her eyes. "I don't know. I was so afraid to see you like that. You adorn my scale tabards, but your body erupted into flames of reiatsu. If I allow you to use my Bankai again, will you be able to manage that power?"

Tamotsu placed his hand on Hinohebi's shoulder as he answered. "That was my own power I was unable to control. You know that. I can control it now. My body was frail. Now it is strong. Please. I don't know when I'll need it, but I can't shake the feeling that I will need to use your full power again."

Hinohebi shut her eyes tightly, a tear falling from each of them and rolling down her cheek. When she opened her eyes again, her expression had changed to a deep concern and determination. "If you are going to use my full power ever again, you must prove to me you can do it. You must defeat me while I use all of my strength against you. Then, and only then, will I allow you to call my true name."

Tamotsu nodded. The mood was interrupted suddenly as a rustling in the brush alerted the two of them. A second later, a small stuffed owl jumped out of the brush.

"There you are!" Lucky cried out in his accented voice. "Do you have any idea how long I've been trying to catch up with you? Curse these cotton wings that I cannot fly!"

Running over to the small stuffed animal, Tamotsu knelt and picked it up. "What is it, Lucky?" he asked. "What happened?"

"You must return to Mr. Urahara's shop. Its horrible. Just horrible..."

* * *

><p>The interior of Urahara's shop was unlike anything Tamotsu had seen. In all aspects, it appeared that a battle had been fought inside the shop. Barrels were broken and splintered wood was strewn everywhere. But Lucky ran straight through the mess to one particular corner. There, amid bits of cotton, were the three stuffed animals who were the smaller bodies of Urahara's special mod souls.<p>

"I was in a different room when it happened," Lucky explained. "Poor chaps. I am a regular substitute soul myself and therefore was unable to do anything."

Tamotsu knelt and examined the toys. Picking up the chick, he held it close. "Ririn," he said. "Lucky, who did this?"

"I'll give you one guess," a voice from the doorway said. It was Kurodo's voice, but when Tamotsu turned around he saw that it came from Masao's body. "He just bounded in here," Kurodo said. "He chased us and we tried to escape. Eventually, he resorted to just tearing us out of our stuffed animal selves."

Ririn, inside Ayame's body, ran to the torn stuffing of her bird gigai. "Oh, why'd he have to be so rough," she said. "It'll never be the same again."

"Masao..." Tamotsu said. Clenching his fist, his body began to glow bright blue. The group stood back as the glow intensified and a flash of light filled the room. Tamotsu stood in his Shinigami form, his body lying limp on the floor. His body still glowed as he released his reiatsu. "Masao!"

Lucky looked up in wonder. "I say," he said. "Have you always been able to do that? So why do you need me here?"

In response, Tamotsu thrust his hand out and Lucky was pulled in by an invisible force. He landed in Tamotsu's hand. "I need you to watch over my body while I'm out," Tamotsu said as he pulled the green pill from Lucky's beak. Placing it inside the mouth of his body, Lucky took over.

"You could have simply asked my rather than being forceful," Lucky said. "But I shall do as you wish. Your body shall be safe with me."

Turning to Kurodo, Tamotsu's blood raged as he was met by the face of Masao. "Where are they?" he asked.

Kurodo staggered backward and nearly fell over. "We're Bount detectors, Mr. Toshiyuki," he said. "We're pretty much obsolete now that the Bounts are extinct. Usually we just stay around the shop all day."

Tamotsu closed his eyes and concentrated, the room suddenly filling with white ribbons. Searching through the ribbons that represented the reiatsu of a thousand people, he found three red ones within the bunch. "There you are," he said. "You four, stay here."

"And just what is it you plan on doing?" Lucky asked.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this ordeal."

* * *

><p>Miki sat with Inoue and Sado. Sado, a large Mexican man despite still being in High School, intimidated Miki when she first laid eyes on him. But it was his calming tone that eased her into a more comfortable state.<p>

"Miki," Sado said, his deep voice calm. "Our Fullbring are unique abilities. Each of us have had direct contact with a Hollow, and each of our abilities is unique among ourselves."

Miki nodded. "That's what Mr. Urahara said," she responded. "So what is it exactly? And is it really only one type of ability per person?"

"Our powers originate from our pride. Something that fills us with pride, and is manifest from that. Usually an object of some sort. Inoue's power comes from her hairpins. They are her most prized possession. My power comes to me from my skin."

"Um, Sado," Inoue said. "Maybe it would be best to show her."

Sado nodded and lifted his right arm. The muscles rippled and it seemed as if black energy formed, eventually creating a type of shield with an image resembling a skull. "I have two abilities," he said. "My right arm is for defense. Brazo Derecha del Gigante. My left arm is for offense. I do not wish to reveal it to you here."

Miki nodded in understanding. If his defensive arm was like that, she wouldn't want to see his offensive arm. Much less see it actually used.

"Mine is called Shun Shun Rikka," Orihime said. "It is difficult to manifest, but I am able to reject various events. A shield to reject incoming attacks, another shield to reject injuries and one to reject objects. I just don't like to injure anyone or anything. Tsubaki keeps getting hurt because of that."

"Tsubaki?" Miki asked.

As if on cue, part of Orihime's hairpins began to glow and a fairy-type figure appeared. Dressed in black with a cloth covering the lower half of his face, he seemed to be a rather aggressive figure.

"That's right," the fairy said. "And I wouldn't get hurt so much if you'd grow a spine and actually use me the way I was meant to be used you stupid girl!" The fairy flew over in the air and started tugging on Orihime's ear.

"Tsubaki," Orihime said. "I don't want you to get hurt. Really. But I don't want to hurt anything."

Tsubaki grunted. "Humph. You know our power comes from your will. You just have to will harder!"

Another part of Orihime's hairpin began to glow and another fairy wearing a red kimono with green wings appeared. "Now, now, Tsubaki," the fairy said. "We all know that Orihime won't use her powers to bring harm. Its not in her nature. But she has used you in a modified form of the shield. Remember Shiten Koshun?"

Tsubaki grunted again. "Honestly, Shun'o. She's not using me to my full ability," he said.

"Stop fighting you two," Orihime said. "We're not here to talk about me. We need to help Miki understand her own Fullbring."

Shun'o nodded. "If you ever need us, you only need to think it." The fairies glowed and returned to Orihime's hairpins.

Miki looked over at Sado. His arm had returned to its normal state. "It can be difficult to grasp sometimes," he said. "But your power is not something to be feared."

"So what is it you can do?" Orihime asked.

Miki turned away. "I can't physically manifest my ability," she said. "I can hear people's thoughts. And... I can see energy. I see the energy bright inside the two of you. If I were to be prideful of anything, I suppose it would be my mind."

_A fullbring that enhances the mind, _Sado thought. _Such an ability would be quite dangerous if not controlled._

"I know," Miki said. "That's why I need your help."

Sado's eyes grew wide. "You heard my thoughts?" he asked.

Miki nodded. "I don't know how to control it. You two can turn yours on and off, but they're physical. This Fullbring. I believe mine is mental. What can I do?"

"This will take some time to consider. So far as we know, there are no other Fullbring around. We recently came into contact with a group called X-Cution, but they are either dead or without powers and now are lost."

"You can stay here tonight," Orihime said. "I can look after you. We can have some of my special soup!"

Sado's eyes grew wider as the thought of Orihime's odd taste in cooking flashed into his mind. Miki reacted quickly to the sudden images and possibilities that raced through Sado's mind and into her own.

"Sorry," Sado apologized. "But Orihime has very... unique tastes in food."

"Maybe I'll just order out," Miki said. "This will be difficult, but I'm sure I can trust you."

"And if you don't you can always mind-read us," Orihime said.

Miki smiled. _Too true,_ she thought to herself, safe in the knowledge that her own thoughts at least were shielded.

* * *

><p>The city raced beneath Tamotsu as he ran full speed in the air, stepping on solid sheets of reishi that he formed then immediately dispersed. He had gotten quite good at running in the air but was still unable to use Shunpo. He cursed his inability, knowing that he would have been at his destination ten minutes ago were he able to perform the technique.<p>

So close to his destination, he could sense the reiatsu of the three Reincarnates on his own. Finding a clearing in some trees in the park, Tamotsu saw the three black-robes figures. Jumping down, he formed a sheet of reishi that slowed his descent.

"Masao," Tamotsu said. "What are you doing here? What have you done?"

"Sorry I wasn't as subtle as I had hoped to be," Masao said. "But I suppose you would have found out sooner or later."

Tamotsu strode forward, his hand reaching for the whip wrapped around his shoulder.

"I wouldn't do that," Masao said. "I'm not the only one here you know. Three against one aren't very good odds."

At the completion of his statement, Goro and Ayame appeared beside Masao as they exited Shunpo.

"What happened to you?" Tamotsu asked. "I thought you wanted to regain your powers to help people. To become a Shinigami once more."

Masao shook his head. "Oh, Tamotsu. You disappoint me. Did you really think with what everything I've done I would want to help? This is something far more serious. You see, my Captain, or former Captain as it would be, has a few things to answer for. She allowed me to be sacrificed when she could have easily saved me and I'm not too happy with that."

"We could talk about this," Tamotsu responded. "Figure this out. You don't have to rebel. Goro. Ayame. Are you in this for his personal vendetta?"

"We have our own reasons," Goro said. "Its just that you have proven yourself to be untrustworthy in our eyes."

"I've had difficult times. Please. Give me the chance to prove myself."

"Its too late for that, Tamotsu," Masao said. "We've made our choice. Don't bother looking for us. We'll be hiding our reiatsu and train. The Soul Society will know that we exist and that we have always been here."

"They do know!" Tamotsu cried. "Ever since I went back there, they've known. That's why I'm here now. I was given charge to find others. We're the first of our kind. We need to stick together!"

"Listen to yourself! You think that just because it was your sister that found you- that you were well known- that you had your seated position reinstated simply because you remembered... That all this makes you better than us? We've been alone. And now its time for us to bring justice to those who wronged us. Do you feel no sorrow? Do you not feel angry about your own death?"

"I died to protect those I loved!" Tamotsu called out, barely on the edge of shouting. "Don't try to sway me with your words. I know what I did. My power was too much for me to control back then but I used it to stop an army. I used it to stop someone who was once my friend. I know what it is like to be betrayed."

"Then tell me!" Masao shouted. "What did you do to the one who betrayed you? Tell me, and let these two know. What did you do to him? What did you do to Fumio Tanaka?!"

Tamotsu's heart sank as Masao said the name of his former friend. "I... I killed him..."

"That's right," Masao responded, his voice smug with satisfaction. "You killed your best friend because he betrayed you."

"No, it wasn't like that! He was possessed by a Hollow. He turned on all of us. He tried to destroy the Soul Society! I tried to reach him, but he was too far gone. Masao, please! Don't follow that path! Fumio's seed of jealousy started him down that dark path, don't you go too!"

"My choice has been made. Stay out of my way. When the Soul Society rises from the flame we will ignite, they will all know the pain and treachery we have known. No more shall we live in darkness. I shall bring retribution to those who have wronged us. I will bring vengeance on those who have betrayed us. They will know. They will all know!"

"Masao, please..."

"Farewell, Tamotsu," Masao said. All at once, the three Reincarnates performed Shunpo and exited the park.

Tamotsu could feel their presence getting farther away. There was nothing he could do to sway them. He didn't want to fight them the way he did with Fumio. There was no reason to. And yet, he couldn't just let them do as they pleased.

Only one option came to mind. He had to get Takeo and Naomi. He had to find them and leave to find someone that could show them what to do. He had to return to Soul Society once more.


	34. Face of Truth

The night air had cooled considerably as Takeo Saegusa made his way back to Urahara's shop. Tamotsu had found him earlier while he was on a stroll and had insisted that he return to the shop. He could sense the urgency in Tamotsu's voice but did not ask why. He knew all would be explained soon. As he entered the shop, he realized immediately what was going on.

The three mod souls Urahara designed were inside the bodies of Masao, Ayame and Goro while Lucky was inside Tamotsu's body. The four of them sat around the table trying to re-stitch three stuffed animals. They did not look up as Takeo entered even though he was sure they knew he was there.

Although he was sure the situation would call for it, Takeo resisted using his own mod soul that Urahara had given him. But, it seemed, he wouldn't have much of a choice. Pulling out the dispenser, he popped the small green pill in his mouth and separated into his Shinigami form. Turning around he faced the incompetent artificial soul that was to be his replacement.

"Can I go outside and play?" the soul asked. It was Takeo's stern features, but it was clearly something else inside. Grabbing his body by the arm, he took and led his body to a room. Gesturing to sit and stay, the soul obeyed and went into a cross-legged sitting position.

"Could you pass me some pink thread?" Kurodo asked Lucky as Takeo entered the room again. Kurodo was working on fixing his rabbit-purse body, which had been torn in several places as well as having the main strap torn apart.

"Are you certain you do not wish to have this done professionally, sir?" Lucky asked. "I doubt your sewing skills are quite up to par."

"Its my body and I'll do with it as I wish," Kurodo responded.

"All done," Ririn said from Ayame's body. She held up a small chicken in a blue dress to show off her handiwork, only to have its head fall off a second later. Disappointed, she picked up a sewing needle and began to work on it once again.

The door to the front of the shop opened and Urahara entered, followed by Tamotsu and Naomi.

"My, my," Urahara said. "Having a little club going on are we?"

"It is most certainly not a sewing club if that is what you are intending my good sir," Lucky said. Naomi and Urahara allowed an expression of uncertainty cross their faces as his voice came from Tamotsu's body. "Those other Reincarnates tore apart the plush bodies of my fellow mod souls and took off on their own."

Naomi walked slowly to the table and examined the excess fluff and hastily sewn stitching. She turned away a moment later. Even though she would admit she had her own streak of morbid humor, she would never bring herself to mutilating any form of stuffed animal in this manner. It was true that she had stuffed her zanpakuto into the back of a teddy bear that Rukia had given her, but in her mind it was tastefully done. Not harsh and demeaning as the scene before her.

Using her own Soul Candy dispenser, Naomo switched into her zanpakuto form. She didn't know exactly what was happening, but when Tamotsu appeared, it seemed that he was quite insistent on returning to Soul Society. He had helped her in facing her past and she wouldn't allow him to face whatever trials awaited alone.

"Now then," Urahara said. "It seems that the two of you are ready. I suppose the only thing now is to await Tamotsu. I wonder where he is right now? Its not like him to keep anyone waiting like this."

* * *

><p>Long shadows crossed the ground as clouds moved in front of the moonlit sky. Tamotsu knelt in the center of a field, his eyes closed.<p>

"White butterfly," he said. "I don't know if I imagined you or if you are real. You have helped me once before. I need to ask your help again. Please."

A gust of wind started and Tamotsu felt as if it were carrying a voice.

_You will meet me again, but not yet,_ the voice said.

"Why not? Why can't you come?"

_In time, your true calling will be made known. Until then, this trial is one you must face alone._

"Wait! My true calling? What are you talking about? What do you mean?"

_When the time comes... you will know._

The wind died and Tamotsu felt as if a presence had left him. The white butterfly was real. He knew that much now. But he didn't know anything past that. What was it? A special type of Jigokucho that someone was using? A special type that the Captain Commander used? Or could it be one of Mayuri Kurotsuchi's experiments? Or something else? It was too elusive. Too many questions.

Standing and taking a deep breath the realization came that he wouldn't receive any further guidance. He had to return to the Soul Society. Maybe there he could find some answers. He just didn't know who he could trust with the information of the white butterfly.

* * *

><p>The Senkaimon opened and Tamotsu emerged, followed by Naomi and Takeo. The guards turned to face them, then stood at attention.<p>

"Third Seat Toshiyuki," one of them said. "We were not informed of your return."

"I'm sorry, but I had to come here quickly and didn't have a soul phone to call," Tamotsu responded. "Return to your posts."

"Yes, sir!" the guard cried.

After exiting the main court area with Seireitei's main Senkaimon, Tamotsu stopped and turned to the other Reincarnates with him. "I need to do a few things alone," he said. "You can return to your former Captains if you want. I'll call you when I can explain everything in detail."

Both Takeo and Naomi nodded, then jumped away using Shunpo. Tamotsu felt a pain and his hands went cold. "They can all use Shunpo except for me," he said to himself.

Tamotsu decided to walk rather than run. He wasn't even sure where he would go first. Should he report to his Captain? Seek Rangiku first? The Captain Commander or Captain Soi Fon to discuss Masao and his plans? He didn't know how long had passed, but he soon found himself in front of the Fourth Division Barracks. The first one he saw was Hanataro Yamada.

"Hey, Tamotsu!" Hanataro called out. "I didn't know you were coming back!" Hanataro ran up and tried to stop short of Tamotsu but only achieved in tripping over his own feet. Tamotsu took a step back as Hanataro fell face-first onto the ground, then got up shakily and smiled.

"Hello, Hanataro," Tamotsu said. "Glad to see a friendly face."

"So how are things going in the world of the Living? I haven't been there in a long time. Do they still sell those wonderful shakes at the mart?"

"I don't know. I've been rather busy with other things."

Reaching into his back pouch, Hanataro began to search for something. "Oh, did you know? You made it to the cover of the Seireitei News! It got published last Friday. See here?"

Hanataro opened the paper and lifted it for Tamotsu to see. Tamotsu snatched the paper away when he saw what was on the cover. There he was, shaking and waving his fists in anger while being held in Rangiku's arms with a large cheery smile on her face. Tamotsu's fists clenched and smoke began to rise from where he held the paper.

"Uh, are you okay?" Hanataro asked, his eyes growing wide with nervousness. "Its not often that we get a full image on the cover. You should be happy to be seen by so many people."

Tamotsu closed his eyes and the paper burst into flames. At the sudden inferno, Hanataro took a step back and cold sweat began to pour down his face.

"_**HISAGI**!_" Tamotsu shouted at the top of his lungs. He took off at a full sprint. Opening his mind, he found a thousand red spirit ribbons surrounding him. Locating the one that belonged to Shuhei Hisagi, he jumped into the air and ran as fast as he could. The other Captains could wait. First, he would have to teach Hisagi a lesson in humility.

Hanataro stared as Tamotsu ran off. He was surprised. The article said he was unable to stand in the air, but he seemed to be doing just fine.

"Who was it, Hanataro?" a voice said. Startled, Hanataro turned to find Captain Unohana. "He sounded quite upset, didn't he? Is there anything we can do?"

"Captain Unohana!" Hanataro said. "No. No, there's nothing we can do. I just think Tamotsu wasn't too happy about his picture being on the front of the newspaper."

"So Tamotsu has returned then?" Unohana asked. "Well then, I suppose that saves us the trouble of calling him here then."

"Wait, calling him? Is he in trouble? What's going on?"

Turning away, Unohana walked slowly to the main office for the Fourth Division. "You will soon see," she said.

* * *

><p>The bar was a cheery place as Rangiku sat drinking with Kira and Hisagi. It had been quiet the past couple of nights and Rangiku had wanted to go out drinking. Even though she took the majority of the sake, she always managed to convince Hisagi to take the bill. Of course, it was only after he was a bit tipsy when she suggested it.<p>

"Yeah, sure I'll pay for it," Hisagi said, his cheeks flushed from the alcohol entering his body. "Don't you worry about it."

"Are you sure, Shuhei?" Rangiku asked, almost flirtatiously. "You look like you're about to pass out. If you do, I'll be the one who has to pay."

"Don't worry, I can handle myself," Hisagi responded as he took another sip from his saucer. Lowering the cup from his mouth, his lips spread into a wide smile. No sooner had he placed the saucer on the table, the doors to the bar burst open with a fierce wind. Everyone turned to see Tamotsu Toshiyuki standing in the doorway three feet off the ground with yellow electricity arcing both of his arms.

"Hisagi..." Tamotsu said as he spread his arms and moved the plate of reishi he was standing on across the room toward his target.

"Uh, Tamotsu," Hisagi said. "Gee, I, uh, wasn't expecting you to-"

"Here's what you're going to do. You will recount all images of me that you took that night and then do a proper story with my insight. Do you understand?"

"My, my, Kiyoshi," Rangiku said as she stood. "This is all a bit overly dramatic, even for you. Don't you think?"

"What?" Tamotsu responded. "I saw something like this in a movie once. I thought it looked cool and- _hold it right there!_"

Hisagi froze, his foot in mid-stride. He had tried to escape Tamotsu's wrath when Rangiku had distracted him but he seemed to underestimate the Reincarnate. Rangiku approached and placed her arm around Hisagi's shoulder and ushered him to where Tamotsu stood, now on the ground since the dramatic effect of his entrance had run its course.

"Come on, Shuhei," Rangiku said. "The least you could do is apologize to my brother."

"Your... brother?!" Hisagi exclaimed.

"That's right. I thought everyone knew about that now."

Hisagi's face turned bright red. "I, uh, must have, er, forgotten... about it..."

Tamotsu came closer and Hisagi tried to pull back but Rangiku stopped his progress. He looked over his shoulder to see his back was pressed hard against her chest, her face only inches from his as she looked over his shoulder. The close contact made his face glow even brighter.

"Hisagi," Tamotsu said. "Do you have a crush on my sister?"

"What? Who? Me? Well, I... Gee, is it hot in here? I think its hot in here."

"Answer the question, Hisagi."

Hisagi felt suddenly damp as a cold sweat came over his entire body. Then, his eyes rolled back and he went limp.

"Okay, seriously," Tamotsu said. "Did he just pass out? He fights the Arrancar, swarms of Hollows and Gillian without a hitch but as soon as I mention you're my sister and he has a crush its too much for him?"

"Oh, Kiyoshi," Rangiku said. "You're not the only one disappointed."

"What? You wanted to hound on him too?"

"No. Since he's passed out he can't pay the tab anymore. Izuru, would you mind? Izuru?" Rangiku turned find that Izuru Kira had already left his place and was nowhere in the bar. "Kiyoshi, you wouldn't happen to-"

Tamotsu interrupted her with a shake of his head, indicating he was neither able nor willing to pay for her tab. Rangiku sighed. She didn't dislike her brother for coming in, but this was the first time in a long time that she'd had to pay her own tab at a bar.


	35. The Test

"You know, you didn't have to scare him like that," Rangiku said to Tamotsu as they walked through the Division Ten barracks. "He's just doing it to make sales on the paper. Everyone gets articles once in a while."

"He made me look ridiculous," Tamotsu responded. "I was portrayed as helpless and incapable."

"Shuhei isn't that bad of a guy. You should talk to him once he wakes up."

"Yeah, maybe I did overreact. Just a little bit." Tamotsu sighed and leaned against a wall. "Just so much to figure out still. All this newfound power and..." He trailed off. He wasn't sure he could trust anyone else with knowledge of the white butterfly just yet.

"And what?" Rangiku asked. "You know you can trust me with anything."

"Its nothing. I'm just going to head out for a bit."

Rangiku said nothing as Tamotsu walked away. She had always worried about him but still pressed him to strive for something higher. Seeing him walk away this time though, she wondered if he would be able to live up to what she had suggested to the other Captains.

* * *

><p>Finding himself walking outside of the Seireitei and into a secluded area, Tamtosu found himself sensing familiar traces of reiatsu. It had been a while since he had met Kai Socrius, a Shinigami who remembered parts of his life as a human, but after a rocky start they had earned their respect for each other. As he approached he felt other reiatsu he did not recognize. As well as two Captains. Soi Fon and Byakuya Kuchiki.<p>

The group seemed to be standing around as he approached, deep in some discussion. "Hey, guys," Tamotsu said as he approached. "Got a private gathering going on here?"

Byakuya looked over at Tamotsu and raised his hand. "Hado Sixty-Three. Raikoho."

A large burst of yellow lightning erupted from the Captain's hand and shot straight toward Tamotsu. Instinctively, Tamotsu erected a Danku barrier and braced himself as the explosion of energy struck the target and shook the ground.

"Hey, whoa there! Captain Kuchiki, what's the hubbub about?" Tamotsu lowered the shield to find the Captain standing indifferent to what had just occurred.

"Socrius, that is they type of reaction time I would expect from you," he said, speaking to Kai. Kai nodded. "I apologize, Toshiyuki. The only reason I used such a powerful spell was because I knew you would be able to deflect it without trouble."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence I guess. What's going on here?"

"Captain Soi Fon and myself are training these Shinigami in advanced Kido and Shunpo techniques. You are welcome to join us if you so wish."

"No offense, Captain Kuchiki, but I think my level of Kido is good enough. And I suppose Captain Soi Fon is teaching Shunpo? I still can't manage the basics."

"Is that so?" Soi Fon asked. "From what I heard, you were able to move quite quickly despite your proposed inability."

"That's different," Tamotsu said with a defensive tone. "I was using reiatsu pretty much like rocket thrusters from my feet. That wasn't Shunpo."

"Regardless of that, Shunpo technique is meant for speed. And you can move fast."

"Well, yeah, I suppose. But I still don't think I'll need any Kido training."

"Very well," Byakuya said. "If you believe yourself to be so competent in that field then perhaps a duel will suffice."

"Duel? Against you?" Tamotsu scratched the back of his head. "Gee, I wasn't expecting anything like that. I suppose we could do that."

Byakuya nodded. "The rest of you take a break. Watch how we perform our techniques."

"Hey, Captain Kuchiki. How about we place a bet to make things more interesting? A wager perhaps?"

"What do you propose? I doubt any of your Kido techniques will land on their intended target."

"Okay then," Tamotsu said, approaching slowly. "If I am able to land one of the Kido techniques on you, you owe me a shrimp dinner."

"And if you fail?" Byakuya asked.

"I'll stay and train with you. Agreed?" Tamotsu extended his hand in the offer of a handshake.

"Very well," Byakuya said, taking Tamotsu's hand. Half a second later, Tamotsu channeled Hado 11 directly through his arm and hand and into Byakuya, the sudden electrical jolt causing the Captain's hair to stand on end.

Running back a couple of steps, Tamotsu called out, "You owe me a shrimp dinner!" Running further a couple of steps, Byakuya was suddenly standing in front of Tamotsu. His eyes were fixed on the younger Shinigami. "For the record, I didn't use the spell until after the handshake."

Byakuya reached over to his side and unsheathed his zanpakuto. "Scatter, Senbonzakura," he said. The blade fell apart into a thousand shining pink petals and began to swirl in a circular motion.

"Hey, wait just a minute!" Tamotsu cried out. "I thought this was supposed to be a Kido duel!"

"You agreed to a duel," Byakuya responded. "However I do not recall stating that it was intended only for Kido. It is true that you did indeed have success in landing one spell, but I will be the one who says when the duel is over."

The pink petals flew forward toward Tamotsu, who fell backward and allowed the petals to fly only inches from his face. The swirling mass came down again and Tamotsu jumped out of the way.

"You cannot win a duel by only dodging, Toshiyuki," Byakuya said. Motioning with his hand, the swirling mass split into two and came at Tamotsu from both sides. Jumping forward, Tamotsu unraveled his zanpakuto and lashed out at Byakuya. Waiting until the last moment, Byakuya dodged by using Shunpo and appeared again directly behind Tamotsu. Without looking back, Tamotsu ducked down as Byakuya's hand came across for a strike.

"Impressive. You were able to perceive my presence without looking back. But I would call that a lucky dodge."

"Its only lucky if I can't do it again," Tamotsu responded, a challenge in his words.

Byakuya's eyes narrowed as if accepting the challenge. A blue glow began to emerge surrounding Tamotsu's body. With another Shunpo step, Byakuya came at Tamotsu from the front. But before he emerged from the step, Tamotsu was already in motion and fell backward. He rolled in the air backward, gaining the high ground. The glow faded and Tamotsu found himself in the path of the glowing swirls of Senbonzakura. The mass was spreading into a wider area, too much for him to dodge. But did he have to dodge? Something that he had learned in his martial arts training was that one offensive technique could be neutralized by another one.

Facing the oncoming mass, Tamotsu raised his hands in front of him. "Hado fifty-eight. Tenran!" A burst of tornado-like wind erupted from his palms and collided with the miniature blades. The entire mass passed harmlessly around him, converging once again into a single mass.

Byakuya stared, then made a gesture with his hand. Immediately, the mass of shining blades opened up and surrounded Tamotsu. They condensed into a sphere of shimmering pink petals, leaving no opening.

"Kuchiki Taichou!" Kai called out. "What are you doing?"

"Remain where you are, Socrius," Byakuya responded. "This is his test."

Inside the swirling mass of pink, Tamotsu found there was no way for him to escape. He could use Sho and Tenran to move some of the blades, but with the speed of their swirling there wouldn't be enough time for him to escape. He had to move them all at once, but he didn't know of a single spell that could do it. Or did he? He had modified Kido plenty of times before so why not now? Drawing in his power, Tamotsu concentrated and then extended his arms and legs as a burst of wind erupted from him in all directions. The technique worked and Tamotsu was able to escape through the several gaps before the sphere reformed.

As soon as he was free of the glowing sphere of blades, however, Tamotsu found that Soi Fon was charging at him. Her zanpakuto was in its released form, a black and yellow finger ornament. He spun as she flew past him. He felt a scratch and looked to find that a white butterfly mark had formed on his right shoulder.

_Ironic_, he thought. It had almost been like a mockery, but he would be the only one who would understand it. Snapping back to the moment, he realized the graveness of his current situation. _Captain Soi Fon attacking me with her Shikai?!_

Jumping down from the air and landing to the ground, Tamotsu ran as fast as he could and hid behind Kai. "_She's trying to KILL ME!_" Tamotsu shouted.

"Toshiyuki!" Byakuya said. "Your duel still commences. Do not dishonor yourself by running away!"

Before he could respond, Tamotsu found that Soi Fon had used her Shunpo to appear behind him. Ducking as she struck again, Tamotsu ran and jumped into the air. She was faster, no doubt on that, but Tamotsu believed he could at least anticipate the direction of her attacks. Reaching deep within himself, he found the power that had recently assisted him against Byakuya's attacks.

A burst of reiatsu to his left announced the arrival of Soi Fon exiting Shunpo before he could see her. By the time she was within view he was already dodging her attacks. The glow of energy appeared once more around Tamotsu and Soi Fon's actions seemed to slow. This did little to assist with his dodging speed but he was able to see clearly where each of her attacks would be aimed. What had seemed like random thrusts before now had a clear pattern.

He was struck twice more, once on the right side of his chest and once just below his left ribs, but the pattern soon became clear. Six strikes, though in rapid concession, were aimed at the same points on Tamotsu's body. In slow motion to his enhanced vision, he began to move his hand as fast as he could. He sacrificed a stab to his right hand as he moved. _First strike_, he thought. _Keep moving and close tightly now._

It seemed almost agonizingly slow, but Tamotsu counted the strikes as each one confirmed his thought on the pattern. _Two, three, four, five, NOW!_ Tamotsu's hand landed on his expected target, grabbing Soi Fon's wrist as she was in mid execution of the sixth strike. Although surprised, Soi Fon did not slow and changed her tactics by executing a crescent kick aimed at Tamotsu's head. He saw it coming and was able to easily dodge. But that, it seemed, was merely a distraction for him to loosen his grip on her wrist. She freed herself and jumped back. Tamotsu stood panting. The hyper awareness that he experienced must have had an effect on his reiatsu level as he normally wouldn't have been so winded.

"Impressive, Tamotsu Toshiyuki," Soi Fon said. "I wouldn't have thought you capable of matching my speed enough to grab my wrist like that."

"Lucky catch?" Tamotsu said, a weak smile appearing on his face.

"Perhaps. Let's put that to the test!" Pushing herself forward, Soi Fon increased in speed as Tamotsu lunged forward as well. Tamotsu screamed as he lifted his hand for a punch, but then was surrounded by a cloud of pink smoke. Soi Fon stopped as the smoke rolled over her. Jumping above the cloud she could see a stream of mist trailing a hundred yards in the opposite direction with Tamotsu running as fast as he could away from her. Soi Fon smiled and allowed herself a brief chuckle before landing next to Byakuya and Kai.

"What was that about?" Kai asked. "Were you trying to kill him?"

"You idiot," Soi Fon said. "That wasn't even half my normal speed. Everything I did I had to slow down to what a normal Shunpo speed would have been like. If I were really trying to kill him, he'd be dead already."

"You said this was a type of test. Just what is it you're testing him for?"

"Several of the Captains," Byakuya stated, "have been asked to test Tamotsu Toshiyuki to his limits."

"To what purpose?" Kai asked.

"The purpose of this test is to see if he is to be removed from his position as Third Seated Officer in the Tenth Division."

* * *

><p><em>Shade<em>, thought Tamotsu as he finally stopped running and collapsed under a tree. _Cool, relaxing shade._ He hadn't known why the two Captains had attacked him the way they did, but frankly he didn't want to stick around to find out. Looking at his robes, the butterfly patterns had faded away. He was glad. Although he had never witnessed it, he knew that Soi Fon's Shikai was a two-hit kill. Had he been struck in the same place twice by her Shikai, he would have died. But why attack him like that? And Captain Kuchiki had allowed it?

Not sure what to make of the situation, Tamotsu fell back to the ground. After a couple of deep breaths, he suddenly felt another reiatsu presence. Acting as soon as he felt where the reiatsu was coming from he spread his legs apart as a black blade came upward, directly out of the ground! Rolling into a backward summersault, he dodged as the second blade came up. Again, it was directly out of the ground. Grabbing the side of the tree, Tamotsu stood sideways and looked down at the two protruding blades.

"Captain Kyoraku?!" he cried out. "What do you think you're doing?!"

The shadows below Tamotsu began to rise out of the ground as Captain Kyoraku emerged. The shadows fell off him like a black ink and revealed his famous pink kimono.

"Easy there, Tamotsu," Kyoraku said. "You seemed relaxed and I wanted to play a game with you."

"A game?! What kind of sick, twisted kind of game is that?!"

Kyoraku smiled as he adjusted his straw hat. "Kageoni," he said. "Or Shadow Demon. We can manipulate shadows to our advantage. Like so." Thrusting one of his swords into the ground, Tamotsu jumped away as it suddenly appeared behind him in the tree. As Kyoraku lifted his sword, it seemed to retreat into the tree.

"I see," Tamotsu said. He grabbed the handle of his own zanpakuto and it unraveled in front of him from his shoulder. "Let's see if I get this right." He thrust the whip against a tree where a shadow was, but rather than going into the shadow it cut through the branch.

"Very close," Kyoraku said. "But the rules of the game state that its our own shadows we use." Kyoraku thrust his blade into the ground again, this time protruding from the branch above Tamotsu. He dodged and landed on the ground.

Without hesitating, Tamotsu thrust his whip full force into his own shadow. This time, the whip disappeared into the ground and re-emerged under Kyoraku. Kyoraku was quick, however, and dodged without problem. Again, Tamotsu thrust the whip down. Rather than having the single strike, Tamotsu's intentions came clear to Hinohebi. Kyoraku dodged again, then the whip retreated into his shadow before he was able to move all the way clear. It re-emerged behind Kyoraku, who dodged once again.

As before, the whip retreated downward and into the shadow once again. Three more times this worked, but Hinohebi's length finally ran out. The blade at the end of the whip stopped a good twelve inches from Kyoraku's face. Kyoraku laughed. "Not bad," he said. "But now your whip has to go back through all those shadows again for you to use your weapon."

Tamotsu pulled the whip and jumped as Kyoraku thrust his sword into his shadow on the tree next to him. The blade emerged, but Tamotsu was well out of the way. "If that's how the game is played," Tamotsu said, "then maybe I'll just stay clear of the shadows. Now standing in the clearing ten feet off the ground, Tamotsu looked down at Kyoraku.

Kyoraku smiled. "Very well, then," he said. "New game." Jumping up into the air, Kyoraku jumped above Tamotsu and raised one of his swords. "Takaoni!" Kyoraku brought his blade down as Tamotsu brought the whip up to block. The strike made contact, but the power was more than Tamotsu had expected. He fell down and stopped himself short of slamming into the ground. Jumping up, he cleared Kyoraku and went higher into the air. But he had forgotten that Kyoraku, unlike himself, was able to use Shunpo and found the Captain already above him.

"Takaoni is like King of the Mountain," Kyoraku explained. "Whoever is on top is the stronger one." Kyoraku struck out twice more and Tamotsu dodged.

"Whoever's on top, huh?" Tamotsu commented. He lashed out with his whip. Kyoraku was confused at first since the attack didn't seem to come directly toward him and reacted too late when he found the whip wrapped around his left leg. With a sharp tug, Tamotsu managed to pull the Captain far enough down that he was below. That accomplished, Tamotsu unraveled the whip and let loose a crack that caused a shock wave.

"Very good," Kyoraku said. Tamotsu turned to find the Captain had used Shunpo to escape once again, now standing on level ground. "You catch on quickly, I'll give you that. Next game."

"What?!" Tamotsu exclaimed. "Just how many of these games do you have, anyway?"

Kyoraku only smiled. "Irooni," he said, raising his swords. "Black!" Kyoraku lunged forward and slashed, Tamotsu able to dodge the brunt of the blow but still managing to get cut. A small spurt of blood appeared where the sword slashed and Tamotsu gasped.

Catching his breath, he faced Kyoraku. "A color game, huh?" he asked. "Shout out a color and you have to hit that color?"

"Basically, yes."

"Very well then. Pink!" Tamotsu lashed out at Kyoraku and managed to cut the pink Kimono. As he had done, Kyoraku was able to dodge the brunt of the blow but still received a cut. Jumping above Tamotsu, Kyoraku descended. Jumping up to face his opponent, Tamotsu readied his own attack.

"White!" Kyoraku said. He brought the sword down, but Tamotsu was turning.

Using the blade on the tip of Hinohebi's whip, Tamotsu cut through the white sash that held his robes together and had his back facing Kyoraku when the blade struck. There was no visible white for him to cut, striking black instead. Kyoraku smiled at the ingenuity Tamotsu had demonstrated, but the smile faded as Tamotsu's spin continued and he displayed glowing blue eyes. "Brown," he said.

Kyoraku used Shunpo and jumped away as the whip came close to his head. Breathing a sigh of relief, he suddenly opened his eyes and found that his normal lock of hair that came down his face was missing. Looking back, he saw Tamotsu with his left arm extended to the side with a few strands of brown hair in his hand. The glowing blue aura around Tamotsu seemed to fade and Tamotsu let the hair drift off in the breeze.

"Sorry, Captain Kyoraku," Tamotsu said. "But I don't really want to play with you anymore." Without waiting for an answer, Tamotsu began running off away from Kyoraku.

Captain Ukitake appeared suddenly beside Kyoraku. "So what do you think?" he asked. "I wasn't able to test him myself like we were hoping."

"He learns fast," Kyoraku said. "And he's adaptable."

"Do you think we're doing the right thing?"

"Yes. I believe we're doing what's best for him."

* * *

><p>Sweat poured from Tamotsu's brow as he came to rest against a wall deep within Seireitei. In only a short time, he had fought against three of the Captains of the Gotei Thirteen. Were they trying to beat him up? Was this some type of sick joke? Or did Byakuya rally everyone against him for the cheap win on their bet? He didn't know. All he knew was that he was tired. He wasn't able to rest long, as a large dark shadow appeared behind him.<p>

"Hey," a deep voice sounded. "I saw you playing with Captain Kyoraku. How about you and I have some fun?"

Tamotsu turned around shakily to find Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, a large smile on his face. "Captain... Zaraki?" Tamotsu said, his voice quaking as much as his body was.

"Come on," Kenpachi said. "Just for a couple minutes to pass the time. I won't take no for an answer." Kenpachi pulled his sword from its sheath raised it to his shoulder. Without thinking, Tamotsu grabbed his whip and lashed out. That single motion was an acceptance of the battle request.

Kenpachi knocked the whip away and lashed out at Tamotsu. Tamotsu fell backward, the blade nearly brushing against his nose. Kenpachi struck again, this time Tamotsu was able to block using Hinohebi. A sudden pounding began in his head, but Tamotsu forced himself not to think about it. Blocking another blow, Tamotsu was thrown back several yards.

The pounding began anew and Kenpachi ran forward. Tamotsu grabbed his head and screamed as Kenpachi's blade came down. "Don't get distracted!" Kenpachi cried out as he struck down. A sudden blue flash appeared and was then covered by a cloud of dust and debris as Kenpachi's blade came down. No movement occurred in the dust for several seconds as it began to clear.

"Hardly worth my time," Kenpachi said, disappointed. He started to pull his blade away but it seemed stuck. "Huh?"

The dust cleared. Tamotsu was on his knee, a blue glow surrounding his body as he held Kenpachi's blade just over his shoulder with his bare hand. Despite the power behind the blow, and the blade was downward against Tamotsu's hand, no blood poured out. Tamotsu opened his eyes and a fierce burst of energy erupted from him. Throwing Kenpachi's blade, Tamotsu spun around and fired a Sho Kido spell at point blank range against the Captain. Kenpach flew back nearly ten yards and landed on his back.

No movement for a second, then Kenpachi began to stir. His shoulders were shaking. Slouching forward on his knee, Kenpachi's shoulders began to shake more fiercely. When he raised his head, Tamotsu could see that that a large smile crossed over it as the Captain began to laugh maniacally.

"Hell, yeah!" Kenpachi said. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" Kenpachi lunged forward and Tamotsu blocked, so focused on his enemy that he failed to notice that Hinohebi had reverted to her sealed sword form.

...

Kyoraku and Ukitake ran as fast as they could. They had sensed a sudden rise in reiatsu within the city, knowing that it had belonged to Tamotsu. Rangiku, too, seemed to have sensed it.

"What's going on?" Rangiku asked. "I thought you were done with his tests."

"We were," Ukitake said. "But when he ran off, I didn't expect anyone else to test him. And not within the city."

The trio could see clearly where the battle was, brief eruptions of blue and yellow reiatsu combined with clouds of dust rising from the streets. There was no question as to who he was fighting.

Moments later, they could see clearly the battle. Nobody dared to intervene, but Rangiku stared with wide eyes. There was her brother, a fierce blue glow surrounding his body and in his eyes. He fought with a sword rather than his whip, which was surprising enough. But for him to be not only fighting, but holding his own against Kenpachi Zaraki... That worried her far more.

Tamotsu blocked another strike from Kenpachi. He knew he couldn't match the man's power, but he was able to deflect and spin. Once close, he let loose a slash of his own which hit home and cut through Kenpachi's robes and the skin underneath. Jumping back to dodge another blow, Tamotsu jumped up and gave a swing at the large man's head.

Kenpachi blocked quickly, but Tamotsu continued his momentum with a kick. With his spare hand, Kenpachi grabbed Tamotsu's foot and threw him away. Tamotsu landed on the ground, his reiatsu-enhanced body leaving a trail carved out of the stone as he slid to a stop. Kenpach laughed harder as the two exchanged blows.

"Come on!" Kenpachi screamed. "Let it out! Let it all out! Don't you dare hold back on me! Ha ha ha!" The two exchanged several more blows, Tamotsu parrying and counterattacking against Kenpachi's all out offensive. The glow around Tamotsu intensified as the battle wore on.

Tamotsu and Kenpachi both fired a striking blow, their swords met in the middle. Sparks flew from both blades as each of them tried to power through the other. Tamotsu's glow intensified further, only to be matched by Kenpachi's own reiatsu release. The power from both sides increased steadily for a few seconds, then dramatically rose. The ground below them cracked and crumbled, everyone knowing that one would have to give soon.

The blow came suddenly as Tamotsu was thrown back when Kenpachi threw his full force into the remainder of the swing. Crashing through two solid walls and coming to rest halfway through the third, the glow around Tamotsu had faded completely. He dropped his sword and fell to his knees, only vaguely aware of the Eleventh Division Captain approaching. Looking up, he saw a large smile on the man's face as he rested his own blade over his shoulder.

"Heh. That was fun," Kenpachi said. That was the last thing Tamotsu heard before the entire world faded into blackness


	36. Truth and Understanding

The morning broke over the town of Karakura. Masao Rin, along with Goro and Ayame, had spent the night practicing their skills as Shinigami. Although they did not agree with Masao's intentions completely, he did convince Goro and Ayame that the Soul Society had a lot to answer for.

There were still other Reincarnates within the township, that much was sure. But due to the lack of their development none of the current Reincarnates were able to easily identify any of them. One that they did know of was Ifukube of the mental institution. Although he had denied wanting to return with Tamotsu, Masao believed that he could convince the man to join their cause.

The three entered the doorway, the receptionist looked up confused. "Don't mind us," Goro said. "Go about your business." The woman said nothing.

"She can't see us," Masao said. "I'm thinking the only one that could is Dr. Ifukube." Following the hallway, the three moved with unease as they passed several rooms. A few of the patients, it seemed, were able to detect their presence. But due to being in confined cells, they could do nothing. Finally, they found Ifukube's office. Without knocking, Masao opened the door. Ifukube quickly closed a packet of papers and stood up defensively.

"Who are you?" Ifukube asked in a demanding voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Dr. Ifukube," Masao said. "I believe that you are like myself and my two companions. Am I right?"

Ifukube grunted. "Reincarnated Shinigami," he said. "Yes, I'm like you. But I already told your friend that I am not interested."

"Perhaps if we just had a moment of your time-"

"My answer holds fast. Now please leave. I have important work to do.

Knowing any further action would be fruitless, Masao bowed his head and backed out of the room. "My apologies," he said. Closing the door, he led the others back down the hall.

As the voices faded, Ifukube opened the packet of papers once again. "My apologies," he said. "Shall we continue?"

"I doubt there is anything else left to say at this point, Ifukube," a man's voice said. "You know my proposition, as well as theirs. Judging by your reaction, you have made your choice." A man cloaked entirely in shadow stepped away from the wall.

"I'm impressed at your ability to hide your presence. You're offering me much more than they are. Perhaps you will tell me who you are?"

"In due time, my friend," the voice said. "You have done much to help me, and your rewards shall reflect the research you have already done. But acting at this point in time will yield lesser results. In time, I will come to you again."

* * *

><p>Tamotsu's eyes opened slowly. The room around him was blurred, but then came into focus as he blinked. Looking to his side, he could see Isane Kotetsu filling a bowl of warm water. Looking over at him, she smiled.<p>

"Good morning, Tamotsu," she said. "Its good to see you're awake."

"Hey, Isane," Tamotsu said. "So how long was I out this time?"

"About eight hours."

"Better than two weeks I suppose."

Isane smiled. "Well, at least your sense of humor is still good. How do you feel?"

Tamotsu groaned as he slowly sat up. "I feel like I got thrown through a brick wall..."

"Three, actually," Isane responded. She smiled again as Tamotsu rolled his eyes. "You went straight through the first two, the third one actually stopped you. Do you remember what happened?"

"Its blurry," Tamotsu said as he rubbed the back of his head. "So what was it exactly? All the Captains beat up on the Reincarnate Day or something? I remember Kuchiki, Soi Fon and Kyoraku... Did I fight Kenpachi?"

Isane nodded. "You're lucky. When you got here you just had minor bruises. I would have expected much more damage after a fight with Captain Zaraki. If anything, you didn't faint from your wounds but from physical exhaustion."

Tamotsu sighed and was about to say something when the door opened. Standing in the doorway was Captain Soi Fon.

"AAH!" Tamotsu screamed out. "Soi Fon! Don't kill me!" Grabbing the sheets, he lifted them over his head in a pathetic attempt at hiding himself.

"Would you relax?" Soi Fon said, pulling the sheets down rather forcefully. "I'm just here to talk."

"Oh, uh, okay. What is it- AAH! Byakuya!" Tamotsu once again lifted the sheets as Byakuya Kuchiki entered the room.

"I would prefer you address me as Captain Kuchiki, Toshiyuki," Byakuya said.

Tamotsu lowered the sheets slowly, revealing only his eyes. "Oh. Right. Sorry, Captain Kuchiku. I said I was sorry about tricking you, right? If you don't believe it was a fair bet I'm sure we could-"

"I let my guard down. It was only brief, but I deserved what I received. Although I am surprised at your ingenuity with various Kido spells."

"Wow. A compliment from Captain Kuchiki. That's- AAH! Rangiku! Oh. Uh, hi Rangiku."

Rangiku Matsumoto entered the room next, followed by Captains Kyoraku, Komamura and Unohana. Seeing the presence of so many caused a chill to go down Tamotsu.

"Okay, this is either really good or really bad," Tamotsu said.

It was Kyoraku who responded. "Sorry about having to put you through that, Tamotsu," he said. "But we had to put you through a test of your abilities."

"Friend Tamotsu," Komamura said. "What would you do to protect the Soul Society. I know it is difficult given your unique position."

"I'd do anything, Komamura," Tamotsu responded. "This place is the only constant in my life... Past lives... Whatever. You know what I mean."

"Oh, why don't we just tell him?" Rangiku asked.

Byakuya raised a hand to silence any further remarks. "The Captains have held a meeting specifically for your cause," he said. "There will be a formal announcement later. But for the time being, we will be removing you from your office as Third Seat in the Tenth Division."

"Huh? What?! Wait a minute. I'm getting demoted?"

"That is not what I said, Toshiyuki."

"Captain Kuchiki, who are you to tell me about this? Shouldn't it be Captain Hitsugaya?"

"He is... Indisposed at the moment. You are to remain here until further instructions. Do you understand?"

"What? Rangiku, isn't there anything you can do?"

Rangiku only smiled, a hint of tears in her eyes. "Trust us, Kiyoshi," she said. With that, everyone in the room save for Captain Unohana left.

"Captain Unohana," Tamotsu said. "What's going on here? What's going to happen to me?"

"You should relax, Tamotsu," Unohana said. "Trust in us. You do trust us, right?" Tamotsu hesitated, then nodded. "Then there is no need for worry. You must rest now. You have been through much."

"Okay," Tamotsu said. "Where's Hinohebi?"

Unohana motioned to the side of the room. There, sheathed in sword form, was Tamotsu's zanpakuto. "During your fight with Kenpachi Zaraki, Hinohebi retreated into her sealed form. You may want to speak with her later." Unohana gave Tamotsu's hand a gentle squeeze and then left. "You should remain in bed for the time being."

Tamotsu sat back as the door closed. He didn't want to stay seated in a hospital bed. He wanted to get out and find out exactly what was going on. What kind of test was it they had performed? And why the Captains? Why was he being removed from his office as Third Seat? So many questions, but nobody to ask them to.

_Get up_, a voice sounded. It was soft and quiet, but soothing. _Get up and listen to me_.

Tamotsu sat up and looked on the table next to the bed. Sitting in the center was the white butterfly. "You again," Tamotsu said. "What's going on here?"

_You must leave this place and go to where I tell you_, the butterfly said.

"But Captain Unohana said-"

_I can heal you, as I have done before_, the butterfly interrupted. _I shall give you the strength you need._

The butterfly began to glow white and a moment later Tamotsu felt fully reenergized. "You've got some questions to answer, butterfly," Tamotsu said as he stood and wrapped his black robes over the white ones he was wearing.

_In due time. There is another like you, but different. He is going to a valley to train. You must follow him there_.

"Like me but different? Do you mean Kai?" Tamotsu remembered Kai Socrius from the last time he had come and then briefly before he engaged Byakuya the previous day. "What does Kai have to do with this?"

_There are things I must teach you, and him as well. Find him and follow. You will know the place when you reach it._

"Okay... Anything else I should-" Tamotsu turned to see that the white butterfly was gone. He sighed and walked over to Hinohebi and picked up the sword. "You and I need to talk later as well."

* * *

><p>It was half an hour later when Tamotsu was able to reach the source of Kai's reiatsu emission. Even though it was easy for him to track reiatsu, catching up to a source already in motion proved difficult without the ability to use Shunpo.<p>

"Hey, Kai!" Tamotsu called out when he was close enough. "Hold up a minute!"

Kai stopped running and turned to face Tamotsu. "Hi, Tamotsu," Kai said, a slight alarm in his voice. "Were you following me?"

"Um, well, kind of. You see the white-" Tamotsu stopped himself, unsure if he should tell Kai about the white butterfly he kept seeing recently. "I was told you were going somewhere and I needed to follow you."

"And who exactly would that be?"

"I... I can't say right now. But they felt it was important."

"Well, Kuchiki-Taichou said I should go alone."

"This... person... said specifically I am to follow you."

"If that's the case all I can say is try to keep up." Kai jumped away using Shunpo and reappeared fifty feet further down the trail. "Come on, then!"

Tamotsu began running after Kai on the ground. "Hold on there, Kai!" Tamotsu shouted. "I still can't use Shunpo!"

Tamotsu ran as fast as he could down the trail. When he was a good distance away, Hinohebi stepped out from behind a tree. A breeze ran her red hair in front of her face as she watched her master, eyes full of sorrow.

_Why, Hinohebi?_ a voice said. _Why do you not remain in your Shikai form with your master?_

Hinohebi turned around slowly to see a blue wyvern floating in the air. "Shionari," she said. "Its complicated. I doubt you would understand."

_I understand fear, Hinohebi,_ Shionari said. _What is it that you fear?_

Hinohebi stood silent for a moment and then answered. "Did you hear word about Tamotsu's fight with Kenpachi Zaraki?" Shionari nodded. "Something happened in that fight. I was going to help Tamotsu, but then something deep within him awoke. There was a burst of power like I had only felt years ago when his reiatsu overwhelmed him. But it was different this time."

Shionari floated over to Hinohebi's side. _Different how? Do you fear that your power is too much for him? You helped me realize much in that respect, Hinohebi. So how was this different?_

"I feel like his power has become great. Without my help, he was able to match stride with one of the most powerful fighters. That's what I'm afraid of." Tears began to well up in Hinohebi's eyes as she forced the words out. "I'm afraid that soon he will no longer need me."

* * *

><p>Tamotsu ran over the rise to a valley to have Kai waiting for him. Out of breath, Tamotsu asked, "Why didn't you wait for me? You know I still can't use Shunpo."<p>

"Can you feel it here?" Kai asked, seeming not to notice Tamotsu's inquiry. "The reishi is just so strong! No wonder Kuchiki-Taichou wanted me to come here and train."

Tamotsu looked over the valley. It was about a mile in diameter, rimmed with bright green foliage and wildflowers of all colors in the grass. A large oak tree stood in the middle, larger than any tree he had ever seen in person. He walked slowly about a hundred yards without saying anything, then stopped.

"Why..." Tamotsu said. His hands clenched into fists and began shaking. "Why did he send you here? Of all the places to go why here?!"

"What do you mean, Tamotsu? He said this place would help me with Bankai training. Its beautiful here."

"Don't you have any idea what happened in this place?" Kai approached, unsure of how to react. "This is where I died, Kai!" Tamotsu collapsed onto his knees, grabbing the grass beside him. "This is where I died... Why here..."

_Because this is where you needed to come,_ a voice said. Kai and Tamotsu turned to see a white butterfly with gold trimmed wings sitting on the top leaf of a flowering plant. Kai stood in wonder at the sight while Tamotsu's eyes narrowed.

"A white Jigokucho?" Kai said.

"You..." Tamotsu said. "You knew it would be here didn't you? Why did you want me here? Why did you want me to come to this place of death?"

_Is it a place of death?_ the butterfly asked. _Have you not noticed? See where you have trodden, how the grass grows greener. The flowers grow brighter. No, this is not a place of death. It is a place of life._

"Wait a minute," Kai said. "You know this butterfly?"

Tamotsu stood, saying nothing as he approached.

_Before we continue, perhaps I should speak to you using your names. Kai Socrius. I shall use this name since it is the one you are most familiar as being addressed with. The other, however, has three lifetimes and three names. Which do you choose to be addressed by? Tamotsu Toshiyuki? Kiyoshi Matsumoto? Or Vincent VanGough?_

"Huh?!" Kai exclaimed. "You were Vincent VanGough?"

Tamotsu gave a gesture by waving his arms. "Well, yeah, kind of. Look, that's not important right now. Okay, butterfly. Just call me Tamotsu like everyone else. Now start talking. Why have you brought me here? And why did Captain Kuchiki send Kai here?"

_As I said. This is a place of life. A strong reishi that has sustained the valley for a long time and will continue to._

"No, I remember," Tamotsu said. "I fought Fumio here. The forest was burned completely. When I exploded... there was nothing left. Only a dead crater."

_And that reiatsu you released has sustained this valley on its since that time. Kai. What would you guess the age of the tree behind you?_

Kai turned and looked at the oak tree in the center of the valley. It reached nearly a hundred yards into the air, its branches full of green leaves. "I don't know," he said. "At least a thousand years."

_That tree was not there at the center of the valley when Tamotsu's incident happened. It is no more than twenty seven years._

Kai gasped. "What?! How could that be? Nothing should be able to grow that fast!"

_Not unless it was fed by a strong reishi. Most Shinigami, when they use their power, use it for destructive means without knowing its true nature. It is not destruction. Not when used properly. Destruction is only one means. Another means of power is life. The greatest Shinigami who can demonstrate this is Hanataro Yamada._

"Hanataro?" Kai asked. "He's not powerful."

_He is not powerful in strength, but is the prime example of life. He does not expel reiatsu to damage, but to heal. Even his zanpakuto heals. It is not a weakness, but a strength. This is the true nature of reiatsu. Reiatsu is life itself. Tamotsu, do you not feel it? Do you not see it? Everywhere you have gone in this valley. Do you not see where the grass grows greener and the flowers brighter?_

Tamotsu looked around and saw a path of thicker, greener grass and bright flowers where he had walked. It was true, he realized.

_Ever since that day, this valley has been sustained by your reiatsu alone. The reishi here is because of you. This is a great place. Not of death, but of life._

Tamotsu extended his hand experimentally and released a flow of reiatsu to a small plant budding in front of him. Before his eyes, the plant grew and developed the brightest flowers he had ever seen in his life. He thought back to all the times he had painted flower in the world of the Living, but the brilliance was so great he doubted even the greatest of artists could capture its essence.

"Wow," Kai said. "This is intense. So reiatsu can be used for both life and death? Then... what about a Hollow's reiatsu? I tried absorbing it with Shionari and it had adverse effects."

_The reiatsu of a Hollow is tainted. Incomplete. Just as there is something missing from their hearts, their full reiatsu is incomplete. Tamotsu. I know that since our first visit you have wanted to find what was missing from their hearts. It is important that you do. There are few who are in the same position you are. Few who understand the Hollows as you do. It must be you to discover this. Then you can further your progress to even greater heights._

Tamotsu took a deep breath. It was true that he longed to find what Hollows were missing. He thought it had to do with this white butterfly, but a deep longing within himself. As if he himself had once known what it was like.

_Kai. Leave us for a moment. I must speak with Tamotsu alone._

"Oh, sure," Kai said. "I'll just be over there training." He walked several yards away, then sat and began to meditate with Shionari unsheathed across his legs.

_Tamotsu. There is a great trial coming for you. Something that only you can prevail in._

"Masao," Tamotsu replied. "Masao Rin. Yeah, I know about that."

_No. That is but a small inconvenience. The time will soon come where you cannot believe what your eyes see nor what your ears hear. At that time, you will have to stand alone. You must act at that time or all that you know will be lost._

"What? How am I supposed to know when that is?"

_You will know. When the time comes you will know._

Footsteps interrupted the conversation. Kai was returning, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry to barge in, but there's something I need to know."

_Speak, Kai Socrius. I have said all I need to._

"I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but you're not a Jigokucho, are you?"

The butterfly slowly folded its wings. _No. I am not._

"What are you, then?"

_I am Tengokucho._


	37. Worlds within worlds

The breeze flowed through the valley as Tamotsu Toshiyuki and Kai Socrius sat. Both were meditating with their zanpakuto drawn and laid across their legs. Though they sat a distance away from one another as to not disturb each others concentration, the expression on their faces remained the same.

_You are meditating, but you are disturbed_, Shionari said to Kai. _You must calm your mind if you are to properly enter into your inner world. What bothers you?_

Kai opened his eyes to see the manifestation of Shionari before him. He didn't move his body, but his eyes shifted as he answered. "I'm not sure what to make of Tamotsu," he said. "It seems at times he is carefree, but has a great deal more when he is serious."

_This disturbs you?_ The wyvern form floated down and landed in front of Kai to relax. _It is difficult to understand others. But now you should concentrate on understanding yourself._

"Shionari, why did Hinohebi seal herself away? I know you two can talk to each other. I just didn't want to bring it up with Tamotsu."

_Hinohebi was afraid. You know of Tamotsu's battle with Captain of the Eleventh Division I'm sure?_ Kai nodded. _It was during that battle when something deep inside Tamotsu awakened. She is afraid that her master may not need her power._

"But master and zanpakuto are united. Each of us is part of the other."

Shionari nodded. _This is true. But I'm sure even you have disagreements within yourself? Allow Tamotsu to deal with this himself. You have come here to concentrate on your own power, not to worry yourself about the troubles of others._

Kai nodded. "Okay, then. Let's continue with my training. I feel like I can train better in this place."

The wyvern form of Shionari nodded slowly. _Open your heart and mind. Feel the power within this place. Let that power flow through you..._

* * *

><p>Tamotsu walked through the thick forest of his inner world. The world was light, yet dark clouds loomed overhead and a light rain fell. He remembered the last time he had gone into his inner world when Hinohebi had left him. The clouds were dark and a fierce rain was falling. The rain now was not fierce but he could still feel the despair. It was not from him, but from Hinohebi.<p>

For several moments he walked. Turning around one particularly large tree, Tamotsu found Hinohebi curled up next to the trunk of another. He didn't make any attempt to hide as he approached.

"You left me again," Tamotsu said as he stopped and leaned against a tree.

"I'm sorry," Hinohebi said, not turning around. "I got scared. Your power... I didn't expect that much from you."

"You can't keep doing this to me, Hinohebi. We've got to stick together. You know how I feel when you leave me. You think you're the only one who feels despair?"

Hinohebi turned around and faced her master. "I'm sorry. Do you remember when I first came to you?"

Tamotsu nodded. "Yeah. They were about to throw me out of the Soul Academy. So why did you choose to come to me then? Granted it kept me in, even if I did fail the first time in the seven year course. And the one after that... And the next one..."

A smile crept across Hinohebi's face. "Because I felt sorry for you. Call it selfish, but I didn't want to see you fail. My coming to you allowed you to stay in the Academy. And now, after all I've done, it seems you no longer need my protection."

"Didn't we have a similar conversation before? Back when I... well... the first time I... blew up?"

"After the first time you used Bankai. I thought it was my own power. But now... Do you even need me? I can feel your power getting stronger."

"Listen to me, Hinohebi. I might be stronger on my own now than I ever was last time in Soul Society. But on my own that's only part of my power. I'm stronger with you by my side."

Tamotsu approached and placed his hand on Hinohebi's shoulder. She turned and looked him in the eye. "I'm sorry, Tamotsu. I guess its just in my nature to overreact sometimes."

"Yeah. Just like me. I just tend to do it more often I think."

Hinohebi smiled. The clouds broke and sunlight began to filter in through the trees. "So what now?"

"Well, as long as I'm here..." Tamotsu drew his sword form zanpakuto. "How about some training? I'm sure I can handle your Bankai form now. You said the only way to get it back is to defeat you?"

Hinohebi smiled wryly as a whip materialized in her hand. "It won't be easy. That's a lot of power you're asking for."

"Hey, wait a minute! Don't I get to use your Shikai form for this?!"

"I said you had to defeat me. On your own. My shikai form is part of myself. If you use that, you'll be using my power as well as your own."

"Yeah, but- You and me- We're part of- We share- Aww, crap..." Tamotsu readied himself with the sword as Hinohebi drew back the whip. She let loose a crack and Tamotsu braced himself against the shock wave. "This is really going to suck..."

* * *

><p>Captain Shunsui Kyoraku walked into the Eighth Division barracks, his pink kimoni flowing behind him as he walked. Although there was work to do, he would have much rather gone to the bar and drink. Everything lately had been so bothersome.<p>

"Captain Kyoraku?" a young girl's voice sounded.

Kyoraku turned to see Naomi Kanagawa. "Ah, Naomi," he said. "And how is my little flower girl doing today?"

The young girl took three steps forward and slowly motioned for Kyoraku to come closer. He stepped close to the girl and leaned in as if he expected her to whisper something. Instead, he was greeted with a hard slap across his left cheek. "Tamotsu!" she shouted. "Why?!"

Kyoraku leaned back rubbing his cheek. "You heard about that," he said. "Well, I guess that does warrant an explanation."

Naomi leaned back and folded her arms across her chest. She didn't speak, but her gesture was enough to say, _You bet it does._

"You have to understand Tamotsu Toshiyuki's unique standing among the Shinigami. I suppose you've heard that he was removed from his office as Third Seated Officer from the Tenth Division as well?" Naomi stood still, indicating that she expected Kyoraku to get to the point. "There's no need to worry. There's a big change coming. We have removed him from office for the same reason that you are no longer a part of my division. There is nothing to worry about, I assure you. Come closer for a minute."

Naomi approached slowly. She allowed her gaze to move from Kyoraku's eyes to his left cheek which was turning bright red. She wondered how Nanao Ise would react to her Captain having a bright red mark. Possibly laugh, believing he had deserved it.

"Can you keep a secret, Naomi?" Kyoraku asked. "It is of the upmost importance that word not become public knowledge."

Naomi nodded and unfolded her arms.

"Very well. I'll tell you the real reason for our test of Tamotsu Toshiyuki."

* * *

><p>Tamotsu lay sprawled out on the ground of his inner world breathing heavily, Hinohebi across from him in the same manner. Several trees were broken, shattered and burning around them and the ground was churned up in a muddy mess.<p>

"So..." Tamotsu said as he panted for breath. "How was that? Does that count as beating you?"

"No..." Hinohebi responded. "We're both on the ground... That... was a tie..."

Tamotsu groaned. He had fought his hardest to gain the upper hand. But it was his strength alone that had pushed him on. It seemed he would have to get stronger to best Hinohebi in a duel.

"Although..." Hinohebi continued. "You have proven yourself... to be my equal. You're strong on your own... but together... I believe we can be unbeatable."

"Thanks a lot," Tamotsu said. Straining himself, he stood up and looked over the landscape. He noticed that beyond the clearing was a hill. He hadn't noticed it before. This was, after all, his own world. "Hinohebi. What's over that hill there?"

Standing up, Hinohebi looked over to the hill that caught her master's attention. "I don't know," she said. "I don't really wander around a lot in here."

Tamotsu looked at the hill again. He remembered the vast expanse of desert when he first visited his inner world. The sand seemed to go on forever, but when he gained confidence and friendship the desert transformed into a forest and jungle. It was full of life and strength from within himself. Whenever he entered his inner world he didn't have to travel far to find Hinohebi. But was there more to his inner world than he saw immediately?

"Let's go check it out," Tamotsu finally said. "It might be nothing, but it might have some answers as to why I keep remembering my past lives."

Before she could say anything, Hinohebi found herself following Tamotsu through the trees and toward the hill. It had never occurred to her to explore her master's world, much less without his consent. A Shinigami's inner world was their own, each one was unique. And as she knew from experience, it could change. But just how large was the inner world? Was it a small sphere that would repeat itself or was it as large as the universe itself? As a zanpakuto spirit, she only had limited knowledge. But they would soon find out.

It seemed like hours... Or was it minutes? Time flowed differently in the mind. Was it real time or less? Longer or faster than what time was in the outside? Tamotsu decided he would have to test it out sometime. In any case, they approached the top of the hill and looked over. The hill itself was bare of trees, but grass grew on top of it. Before him was a vast expanse of forest. A few breaks in the trees indicated clearings were scattered about, but turning around it seemed to be the same as the forest behind him.

"It seems to be the same," Hinohebi said. "It is still interesting, though. To view your world."

Tamotsu looked. In the far distance he thought he saw a change in the world. He didn't know if it was something with his eyes or if it was real. Glancing down, he saw a small outcrop of rocks with water flowing into a small stream. Curious, he approached the trickle of water and looked to where it flowed.

"What's this?" Tamotsu asked. "I haven't seen any other streams in my world before."

Before Hinohebi could protest, she found herself running after Tamotsu as he followed the stream. The further they progressed, the wider the trickle became. Soon it was as wide as Tamotsu's arms when he spread them. Subtle changes occurred as the stream progressed. It seemed that there were strange rocks that appeared within the foliage.

Eventually, they entered a clearing. Colorful flowers were spread through the clearing and the stream ran through the center and around a small shrine. The shrine was covered in vines and inside sat a lone figure. Slowly approaching, the figure took shape. It was a man, a bit overweight and dressed in purple Japanese robes. A small pointed beard with matching sideburns were on his face.

Tamotsu and Hinohebi approached slowly and the man opened his eyes and gazed at them.

"Infidels!" the man cried as he drew a sword and rose. "How dare you enter the domain of my master!" Before he could react, the man lunged at Tamotsu. Hinohebi intercepted by knocking the blade away with her whip. "You dare to defy me, child?"

The man moved swiftly, swinging with precision and perfect control as Hinohebi swung the whip to deflect the blade. Fierce white sparks flew from each of the contacts from the blades and Tamotsu stared in shock. He started to rise up but a sharp pain jolted through his head. Doubling over in pain, Tamotsu grabbed his head and cried out.

Hinohebi jumped away as the man brought his sword down. She was fast, but the man had speed as well. "Stop it!" Hinohebi shouted. "This is _my_ master's domain! You are the intruder!"

"Lies!" the man screamed. "I have not moved from the shrine. Many times the world around me changed, but I have remained. If my master were to see you, he would destroy you both with one swipe of my blade!"

Tamotsu struggled to his feet, blue energy surging like lightning around his head. "Stop..." he struggled to say. "Stop it... Stop!" Reaching his standing position, Tamotsu ran toward the two fighters. "_Stop it! Both of you!_" Jumping between them, Tamotsu grabbed Hinohebi's whip in mid swing with his left hand and brought his hand out in front of the attacker's blade. The blade came full force, but Tamotsu grabbed the cold metal. Red sparks and energy flew from the contact point, but the blade did not cut Tamotsu's hand.

The attacker's jaw dropped, his eyes became wide with shock. For a brief moment, he saw another figure. Faded, but unmistakable. "M- Master..." he said. Stepping back, the man suddenly became weak. He dropped the sword as he staggered backward and fell to his knees. "Master... I did not know... Forgive me..."

Hinohebi's eyes grew wide as Tamotsu let go of her whip and approached the man. "What is this?" she asked. "Who is he?"

"I waited for you, my Master," the man said. "I waited for you for so long..."

"It's all right, my friend," Tamotsu said. "I remember you now."

"This world... When it became desert I worried. But now with the growth, it overcame the shrine as if this place was forgotten... I waited for you to return one day. I knew you would return. But it seems you have taken on another."

"Tamotsu, what's he talking about?" Hinohebi asked.

"He was my blade from another lifetime," Tamotsu answered. "It seems he stayed with me, just as you did. He was a loyal companion."

"Another zanpakuto spirit?" Hinohebi stared. When she had come to Tamotsu, she hadn't felt any other presence within his mind. But could it be true that a secondary zanpakuto resided within Tamotsu's inner world?

"I am shamed," the man said. "I have attacked my own Master..."

"Be still, friend," Tamotsu said.

"I am unworthy to be your blade. I shall depart."

"No. Stay. I know it is difficult to understand. But I may require your services again some day."

The man bowed his head. "My blade is at your services. Should you require me to come, you need but call my name."

Tamotsu nodded and placed his hand on the man's shoulder. He said nothing as he turned to Hinohebi. "It seems my inner world was bigger than we both anticipated. You should remain here. I know where to find you. I have regained my memories, but I am sure the two of you will have much to discuss."

Hinohebi approached the man, who was now standing. "It seems we serve the same master," she said.

"He was a great Shinigami," the man said. "You did well to choose him. I shall leave you as his primary companion and wait for him to speak my name once again."

"You both are within me, and I am in you," Tamotsu said. "I'm not sure exactly how this will work, but it is good to see you again."

"What is his name?" Hinohebi asked. Tamotsu approached slowly, then whispered the name of his secondary zanpakuto into her ear.

* * *

><p>The small mass of water floated before Kai, growing ever so slightly as he gathered water from the surrounding air. He had managed to collect it further in this valley than he ever could before. It was slow and tedious work, offering a great strain which would normally have exhausted him. But here, he was able to collect the tiny molecules and remnants much faster.<p>

A burst of reiatsu from behind him caused Kai to lose concentration. It felt almost like a bolt of lightning, shooting through his entire being. The mass of water he had collected over the past five minutes fell onto the ground with an audible splash.

"Damn it!" Kai cried. "That was the most I was able to collect."

_You lost concentration,_ Shionari said. _And you go about collecting water wrongly._

"You wait until now to tell me?"

_There is water in the air, but also in the earth. When you find mist and water itself, you can use that as well. Learning to collect it is only but a small part if you are to learn to control my full power._

"So I can collect water from anywhere?" Kai asked. Shionari nodded. "This is kind of like Avatar: The Last Airbender?"

_Excuse me?_

"Sorry. I keep forgetting that nobody here knows about that. It was a cartoon from back when I was alive. Great cartoon. Great story. Movie sucked though. Anyway, there was one character who learned to take water from the air and the plants. You're not going to ask me to take water from someone's blood, are you?"

Shionari lowered her gaze. _Well, I suppose as long as the principle remains the same it does not matter where you obtain this knowledge._

Kai was about to begin again when Tamotsu stood. His zanpakuto had returned to its whip form, wrapped around his shoulder in the usual manner.

"So how's your training going?" Tamotsu asked.

"Well, it was going well until your little outburst of reiatsu distracted me," Kai responded, visibly annoyed. "Weren't you the one to tell me to learn to control my reiatsu? Or something along those lines?"

"Sorry about that. More memories. Tends to happen." Tamotsu walked a few steps and then doubled over, an arc of blue energy surging over him.

"Tamotsu! Are you okay?" Kai ran over but Tamotsu raised his hand as another burst ran over his body.

"No... Not again..." Tamotsu said as he grabbed his sides.

"What's happening?"

"Kai... You said your shikai can absorb reiatsu... Is that right?"

"Well, yeah. But-"

"I need you to take some of my reiatsu from me..." Tamotsu doubled over again as another surge erupted from him.

"Drain your reiatsu, are you crazy?! What if I take too much?"

Tamotsu looked up and forced a smile. "I'm in a lot of pain here, Kai. Do it!"

Kai drew his zanpakuto and called out its release. "Rage! Shionari!" His blade dissolved into water which he motioned over and a circle enveloped around Tamotsu. The circle of water began to glow as it absorbed the excess reiatsu from Tamotsu.

"You've got to do a lot better than that, Kai! Pull it out from me!"

"What do I do with it? I'm getting too much even right now!"

"Pour it into the earth. Send it to the sky. I don't care, just do it!"

Kai concentrated and began to pour the excess reiatsu he was draining from Tamotsu into the ground. The amount of energy surprised him. Feeling the strain, he began to draw on some of the energy for himself. Sweat began to pour down Kai's face as the flow of energy from Tamotsu increased, then began to level. A few moments later, as if by some unspoken cue, Kai released the circle of water from Tamotsu.

"Thank you, Kai," Tamotsu said as he stood. "Thank you."

"Okay. Mind telling me what just happened? You seemed to be the better one at controlling your reiatsu."

"There's something you have to know about being a Reincarnate. Just be lucky you can only remember parts of your past life."

"Why's that?"

Tamotsu sighed, collecting his thoughts. "Whenever more memories surface... Whenever you remember more lifetimes... Its like the collective energy from those lives also surfaces. Its been suppressed, just like your memories. Right now, I remember three past lives. Plus my current one. That means that right now I have the reiatsu from four lifetimes trying to fit inside my body."

"Does your sister know?"

Tamotsu shook his head. "When I regained my memory for being Vincent, I struggled to hold back the power. I didn't want to worry her. But now... With each new lifetime its getting harder to control. I didn't want to worry Rangiku. This is our blessing... And our curse. Kai. Be mindful of how much you remember. Honestly I don't know how I'm able to contain this much power without causing you to pass out."

"Wow," Kai said, placing his hand on his head. "That's a lot to take in. I didn't know you could hurt so much because of it. Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine."

"Tamotsu, there was a certain Kido spell you used on my for my outburst. Could you teach it to me?"

"That's a dangerous spell. It takes a degree of control, and you have to absorb all the reiatsu you drain. Just like you did using Shionari. Actually, there's no need for you to learn that spell." Tamotsu staggered as he stood and was about to fall over again when Hinohebi appeared in a flash of light and caught him.

"You need to rest, Tamotsu," Hinohebi said. "Your inner world is disturbed if you press yourself too hard. We feel what you feel."

"Wait a minute," Kai said. "We feel? You've got more than one presence in your inner world?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about, Kai," Tamotsu answered. "Its in my world, and there's no danger." Tamotsu sat down and slowly began to lie down. After a moment of staring at the sky he spoke again. "Of the two of us, you're probably the stronger."

"Huh? What do you mean? Tamotsu?" When Kai turned around he could see Tamotsu and Hinohebi lying next to each other on the grass. Tamotsu's chest rose and fell slowly. He was asleep. "You seem to be stronger right now. Why do you say I'm stronger than you are?"

_He needs to rest,_ Shionari said. _That is something to ask another time. For now, concentrate on your own training._

Kai nodded. Reaching out with his hand, he felt the water in the surrounding area. This time, rather than collecting water from the air alone, he searched for water in small droplets under leaves and moisture within the earth.


	38. Of Hearts and Minds

Shadows passed across the landscape as the day wore on. Tamotsu was lying down, as he had been for the past hour and a half. Kai concentrated on his manipulation of water, a sifting orb the size of his head floating before him. Drawing water from all around him had gotten easier thanks to the rich reishi in the area.

All around Tamotsu, the flowers and grass grew brighter from his constant slow release of his reiatsu. From a distance, it would have appeared to be a funeral with the white and purple blossoms that surrounded the Shinigami. Only the slow, steady breathing indicated otherwise. Finally, his eyes opened and Tamotsu sat up.

"So the sleeping beauty decided to finally wake up, huh?" Kai said while he still concentrated on the water in front of him.

"How long was I out?" Tamotsu asked as he stretched.

"Long enough."

Tamotsu stretched again as he approached and saw the water floating. "Looks like you've progressed quite a bit. Not bad."

"Thanks." Kai began to move his hands and the water moved with him. Concentrating, the strain obvious on his face, he began to mold the water. It began to take form but suddenly collapsed all at once and fell onto the ground. Kai cried out in frustration.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Tamotsu said. "There's plenty of time to get your Bankai. No rush, Kai."

Kai was about to say something, but chose not to. He had been warned by Byakuya Kuchiki about giving information to Tamotsu. In fact, he had been warned not to have anyone, especially Tamotsu, follow him to the valley where they were now. After seeing Tamotsu's initial reaction and the explanation as to what this place really was he could understand.

"Tamotsu, let me ask you something," Kai said as he sheathed his zanpakuto.

"Yeah, sure. Anything."

"Before you fell asleep, you said that of the two of us I'm the stronger one. Do you remember that?"

"Sure I do. Why?"

"It's just that I've seen your proficiency with Kido. You even pulled a fast one on Kuchiki-Taichou. You were able to stand up to Soi Fon-Taichou and have learned quickly how to stand in the air. You've done some spells that I haven't even heard of. Not to mention your reiatsu level and that second signature that I felt earlier. You seem to be the stronger of the two of us."

"It's a matter of perspective, Kai. I know that I'm strong, but I'm also aware of my own weakness. For one thing, I still can't use Shunpo. Last time I tried I got blasted across the training area like I was shot from a canon or something. As for the reiatsu level, power like that in and of itself is pretty much meaningless. It's how you use it. And the Kido spells that I used? That's just modification of some basic Kido spells. Lightning arm is a modification of Hado number eleven, and the mighty push thing I did was similar to Sho or Tenran but expanding to all directions rather than just forward."

"Wow," Kai responded. "I hadn't thought of it that way. I just thought you made up new Kido spells or something."

"Okay, let's put this in perspective. We can't really talk about this analogy with the other Shinigami since they won't know what we're talking about. Did you ever watch superhero movies in the World of the Living? Read comic books?"

"A few, yeah."

"Let's say that, figuratively in terms of power, I'm Superman and you're Green Lantern."

"Hey, why do you get to be Superman?"

"Work with me here, Kai. Superman is strong and all, but all of his powers are straight forward and at face value. What you see is what you get. He's awesome, yes, but Superman even admitted one time that Green Lantern was the most powerful one in the Justice League besides himself."

"But without the ring, Green Lantern is nothing."

"Yeah, that was his argument as well. But with the ring, the only limit to Green Lantern's power is his imagination. You have that power too, Kai. I mean, the complete manipulation of water? Learn to perfect this and you're never without a weapon. Get enough water and you can manipulate and freeze it and charge into battle riding a tank made of ice. If it's raining you can make your own fortress. Your ability will only be limited by what you can imagine. Right now, that's all you're lacking. You see everything at face value, only thinking of the use you were told for it. Once you break out of that thought process and imagine what could be… You'll most likely become one of the most powerful Shinigami of all time."

Kai said nothing for a moment, taking in all that Tamotsu had said. "You know, you seem a lot more philosophical since the last time we were together. Did you know that?"

"Am I? Huh. I didn't notice."

"I appreciate what you're saying, but I think there's only one way to test this." Kai drew his zanpakuto and crouched into a ready position.

"Seriously?" Tamotsu stood his ground without moving and folded his arms.

"Come on, Tamotsu. Duel me."

"Not really thinking it's a good idea right now, Kai."

Kai was about to attack anyway when a the sound of rustling foliage drew his attention. Standing in the shrubs was a woman. A white dress clothed her and a small, perfect black circle was just below her collar bone. A white mask that looked like a blank masquerade mask covered her eyes.

"Hollow," Kai said. "Arrancar."

"And here I thought I was doing well at sneaking up on you two," the Arrancar said. "Oh, well. Might as well make this quick."

"What are you doing here?" Kai shouted. He readied himself to charge or block, whichever came first.

The Arrancar laughed. "Such a silly little boy. It's simple, really. I'm a Hollw and you're a Shinigami. I came here to kill you." There was a sudden boom as the Arrancar seemed to disappear, only to have her own blade drawn and placed next to Kai's neck when she reappeared. "Unless you would surrender."

Kai swung around but there was another boom as the Arrancar used its Sonido, their own form of Shunpo. This time, she reappeared next to Tamotsu.

"I overheard that you can't use Shunpo," the Arrancar said. "Is that true?"

Tamotsu smiled. "Yeah. But Hinohebi won't like it too much that you're threatening me." As he spoke the name of his zanpakuto, the whip around Tamotsu began to glow and sifted slightly. The Arrancar jumped back. "She's rather protective of me."

"Rage, Shionari!" Kai cried out. His blade melted once again into a mass of water. He swung the hilt of his sword and the water surged forward straight toward the Arrancar.

The Arrancar jumped back again and somersaulted, landing lightly and perfectly on her feet. "Is that the best you can do?" she asked. "Your little water balloon won't do too much good against me."

Kai swung his arm again, the Arrancar dodging in kind. This time, however, she jumped and landed close to Tamotsu, his top two fingers pointed outward with a spark of blue electricity surging from the tips. With his enhanced senses, Tamotsu aimed directly at the Arrancar as she seemed to fall in slow motion. As her hair moved from her face, he could see she was staring directly at him. Then her body seemed to relax as she turned away.

Moving his finger ever so slightly, Tamotsu fired the Byakurai spell and missed the Arrancar's shoulder by an inch. Landing on the ground in a crouch, the Arrancar whipped around and stared at Tamotsu with a look of intense fury. Tamotsu only stared back at her, his face locked in a fierce look of his own.

Kai screamed as he ran forward with Shionari's power growing from the reishi he was absorbing from the valley. He brought his arm back and was about to surge forward again when Tamotsu's yell caught him off guard.

"Kai, stop!" Tamotsu called out.

Slowing himself and finally stopping, Kai obliged even though every fiber of his being told him to continue the attack and finish the threat.

"Why?" Tamotsu asked.

"She's the enemy, Tamotsu!" Kai screamed in response. "That's why!"

"Not you! Her!"

The Arrancar looked up with a surprised expression as Tamotsu slowly approached. "Stay back," she warned. "Stay back or I'll kill you! I swear!"

Tamotsu stopped three feet away from the Arrancar. "No you won't," he said. "Now tell me. Why are you here?"

"I told you. I came here to kill you!"

Tamotsu lowered his gaze and said nothing for a moment. "Then why don't you kill me? I'm close enough for your blade to cut through me. You know I'm not fast enough to dodge."

"I… I don't want to kill you in a cowardly manner. Draw your blade. Fight me!"

Tamotsu unwrapped Hinohebi from his shoulder and looked at the whip, then tossed it aside.

"Tamotsu!" Kai screamed. "What the hell are you doing?"

The Arrancar lifted her blade over her head and began breathing heavily. Kai took a step forward, only to be stopped by Tamotsu. "Stay there, Kai!" Kai obeyed, but continued to pour reiatsu into the water form of Shionari's released form.

The air tensed as the Arrancar stood with her sword raised, then let go. The blade sank into the ground as the Arrancar fell to her knees. "I can't," she said. "I can't do it."

"You didn't come here to kill us, did you?" Tamotsu asked. "You came here so that we could kill you."

The Arrancar's face shot up at Tamotsu's words, then tears began rolling down her face. "You don't know what it's like," she said. "The emptiness…"

"You remember… don't you? You remember a life before you were a Hollow."

Slowly, the Arrancar nodded. "I remember. The loss. The hunger. Trying to fill the void. But nothing I did worked. I can't do this anymore. Please… Slay me…"

"You were drawn to us for a reason. Drawn to me. Both Kai and myself remember past lives. We remember who we were. And we know who we are. I need you the way you are. There's something I have to know. What is it that you lost? What's missing from your heart?"

The Arrancar shook her head. "I don't know… I just… I don't know…"

"Arrancar, I think you're the only one that can help me with this. Please. I need to know what's missing from the hearts of the Hollows. If we were to learn that, we could put an end to their suffering. An end to this never ending war between us."

_Your suffering is much. This I know._ Kai, Tamotsu and the Arrancar turned to see that the white butterfly had returned. _But some suffering is necessary for the greater good._

"Tengokucho…" Tamotsu said.

_Your suffering is not unknown, but it is not in vain. Trust in Tamotsu. Find what your heart lacks. Then you shall know greater peace._

"Tengoku… cho…" the Arrancar said. "Heaven's Butterfly?"

Tamotsu nodded. "It has come to me before. I trust it. So should you."

The Arrancar nodded, then stood. The air behind her became distorted and a dark doorway opened up. She was returning to Hueco Mundo.

"Wait," Tamotsu said. "What is your name?"

"Kisaki," the Arrancar said. "My name is Kisaki." As the dimensional doorway closed, never took her eyes off Tamotsu. When the air once again returned to normal, a soft breeze swept through the fields of the valley.

_You did well, Tamotsu Toshiyuki,_ the Tengokucho said. _But you must quickly return to the other world. Your immediate mission must be fulfilled._

"Immediate mission?" Tamotsu asked. His eyes suddenly went wide with realization. "Masao! Masao, Goro and Ayame! I've got to warn the Captains! Later, Kai! Gotta go! Big trouble!"

Before Kai could respond, Tamotsu was running full speed back toward Seireitei. Kai stood dumbfounded.

"Can you believe him?" a girl's voice said. "He ran off without me."

Kai turned to see Hinohebi in her human form standing next to him. "Gah!" Kai cried out. "Don't do that!"

Hinohebi faced Kai with a confused look. "Huh? Oh, that's right. You're not used to me popping out like this."

"Can you find him? For not knowing how to use Shunpo he can really move quickly."

"I can find him, no problem. See you later!" Hinohebi began to skip along in the direction Tamotsu had gone as if she had no worries.

_They are an interesting couple,_ Shionari said.

"Yeah, no kidding," Kai responded. Then, turning to the Tengokucho he said, "So what's your story?"

_In time, you will know,_ the white butterfly said. The gold trim on its wings began to glow, then glowed brighter until they were the brightness of the sun. When the light faded, the butterfly was gone.

* * *

><p>Sounds of clanging metal reverberated through the halls of the Eleventh Division training hall as Takeo Saegusa dueled with Ikkaku Madarame. Ikkaku screamed with delight as Takeo tested his skills against the Third Seated Officer.<p>

"Now this is what I like to see!" Ikkaku yelled. Both he and Takeo had their zanpakuto in their released form. Ikkaku's three-sectioned spear against Takeo's double-bladed sword, each one thrusting and parrying, jumping and spinning.

It had been a long time since Takeo had sparred with another Shinigami, but his martial arts training in his current life in the World of the Living had helped to keep his senses keen. Unlike his physical body, Takeo's spirit body was stronger and faster than anything he could have hoped to accomplish otherwise.

Takeo spun and came down with a powerful strike to which Ikkaku redirected by spinning his staff. Continuing the momentum, Takeo came down with the other side of his blade and forced Ikkaku to step back. Ikkaku then used the half-step backward to increase the speed and power of a stabbing strike aimed at Takeo's midsection. Unable to block, Takeo was forced to turn his body to the side. Ikkaku's staff tip passed inches from Takeo's robes, then using his free hand Takeo grabbed the wooden center of the staff.

Seeing this, Ikkaku quickly spun around in the opposite direction and landed a blow with his elbow between Takeo's shoulders. Takeo grimaced and fell forward as Ikkaku righted himself and brought the tip of his weapon down to within an inch of Takeo's face.

A moment passed, then Ikkaku smiled and brought his weapon to a resting position on his shoulder. "Heh," he said. "Not bad for being a bit rusty." Reaching down, Ikkaku helped Takeo to his feet.

Takeo stood and gave a firm nod, indicating that he enjoyed the sparring session. Even though he had lost, he felt good that Ikkaku had complimented his abilities. It was then that Kenpachi entered.

"Yo, Takeo," Kenpachi said. "Get over here."

Takeo swung his zanpakuto over his shoulder and latched it in place on his back. He approached Kenpachi and gave an expression of indifference.

"Nothing to say?"

"He can't talk, Kenny," Yachiru said as she suddenly appeared over Kenpachi's shoulder. "Don't you remember?"

Looking down, Kenpachi saw the scars running over Takeo's throat. "Oh, right. Follow me." Kenpachi turned and began walking out, Takeo following behind him. "Gonna assign you a new Captain to follow."

Takeo cocked his head. A new Captain? What was Kenpachi talking about?

"Don't know what Tamotsu was thinking, sendin' you back to me. You left my squad when you died. Heh. You're probably the only one to try getting back in."

Running ahead of Kenpachi, Takeo made a gesture for him to halt and then spread his arms wide. _What's going on?_ he indicated.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kenpachi responded, slightly annoyed. When Takeo did nothing to indicate a response Kenpachi sighed. "Follow me."

* * *

><p>"Soi Fon. We need to talk." Tamotsu caught the Captain of the Second Division just outside the walls of Seireitei. She seemed to be alone, but that didn't mean much since members of the Stealth Force could be hiding anywhere. "We need to talk about Masao."<p>

"There's nothing to say, Tamotsu," Soi Fon responded.

"Don't give me that crap. There's something going on and you know it. Ever since I came back you've either been hiding something from me or trying to kill me. I don't know why nor do I care right now. But Masao is planning something and as his Captian-"

Soi Fon grabbed Tamotsu's collar and pulled him down to her level. "You listen to me," she said, her face inches from his. "Masao Rin died in Soul Society. My jurisdiction over him ended the day he died. It was sad, but that's the way things are."

"So you're refusing to take responsibility for him then?"

"I have no obligation. Technically, he's not even a real Shinigami anymore. He's not even a Substitute like Ichigo. He's just there. So are you. And we're going to have to do something about it."

"Then I'll have to stand alone? Fine." Tamotsu strode off at a brisk pace directly into Seireitei.

"You could have handled that better, Captain Soi Fon," Byakuya said, suddenly standing beside Soi Fon.

"I suppose we'll have to go about this unofficially then?" Toshiro Hitsugaya said as he also entered the scene.

It was Captain Kyoraku who appeared next and spoke. "Well, I think it's only fitting considering the circumstances."

Hitsugaya lowered his gaze. "Toshiyuki is still unable to use Shunpo. It will take some time for him to make it to the Senkaimon. We'll meet him there. If anyone has any objections, speak now."

"I believe we stand firm in our decision," Byakuya said. "It was difficult enough to get this far with it."

* * *

><p>Tamotsu approached the Senkaimon gate in the center of Seireitei. It had taken him ten minutes to walk the distance on foot. As he approached he could see the guards standing ready at the gate.<p>

"Toshiyuki!" a voice cried out. Tamotsu turned to see Toshiro standing behind him, several of the other Captains as well as some of the Lieutenants were with him. Standing next to Toshiro was Rangiku holding some type of box. Takeo and Naomi were also among the group.

"Don't try to stop me, Captain," Tamotsu said. "I have to stand alone for this."

"No you don't, Toshiyuki," Toshiro responded. "Tell me. Will you stand and fight for the values of Seireitei?"

"I've already died once to protect it, and I'll die again if I have to."

"Are you willing to lead these other Shinigami?" Toshiro indicated Naomi and Takeo, who stood ready.

"As long as they are willing to follow, I will lead them."

"Very well. Then I think you'll be needing this."

Rangiku stepped forward and handed Tamotsu the box. A large smile was on her face as he opened the lid, revealing a white cloth and a wooden badge. Moving the badge, he noticed that the cloth was actually a type of cloak. The black symbols indicating the number "14" were present on the back. With sudden realization, he saw that he was holding a Captain's haori. The wooden badge was a Lieutenant's badge, the same "14" symbol as well as the image of a phoenix was present.

"What is this?" Tamotsu asked. "Me? A Captain? But… how?"

Kyoraku stepped forward and tilted his wide hat as he spoke. "It would seem that you were never really allowed to regain your status as Third Seat. Shinigami that die are automatically removed, but your special condition provided a loophole. You are not truly part of the Gotei Thirteen, yet you are not a Substitute either. Hence, a new division."

"Its unofficial, of course," Toshiro stated. "The haori and badge are merely a formality."

"What about Central 46?" Tamotsu asked. "Wouldn't they have to approve something like this?"

"It wasn't easy, believe me," Kyoraku said. "But these Reincarnates need a leader. And you have proven yourself."

"You still have a long way to go," Soi Fon said. "But you're fully capable."

"Come on, what are ya waiting for?" Kenpachi asked.

Unfurling the haori, Tamotsu threw it on over his Shinigami robes and noted that the inner lining was yellow, different than the other Captains of the Gotei Thirteen. Then taking the Lieutenant's badge, he tossed it to Takeo who caught it and nodded briskly with understanding.

"This will be your final test," a booming voice sounded. Everyone turned to see Captain Commander Yamamoto approach. "Here, you must prove yourself worthy of becoming a Captain. Protect your squad and fulfill your mission."

"I understand," Tamotsu said.

"You'll come back so you and Kenny can play again, right?" Tamotsu looked down to see Yachiru standing in front of him. Smiling, Tamotsu ruffled the small girl's pink hair.

"Of course I will." Then nodding at his squad members, Tamotsu led the new Division to the Senkaimon. Offering another look over his shoulder, he could see Rangiku staring right at him with tears of happiness in her eyes.

_Good luck, Kiyoshi,_ Rangiku mouthed.

The gates of the Senkaimon opened and a bright light filled the area. Striding forward, all three members having their zanpakuto already in their released form, they moved to protect the city of Seireitei from invaders. Just as they had in their previous lives.

* * *

><p><strong>NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR<strong>

Yeah, okay, so I'm taking liberties. What did you expect? Its not like the Reincarnates could exactly become full members of their previous squads. I hope I explained that clearly enough. The story finale is fast approaching. Stay tuned and as always, thanks for reading.


	39. Battle of the Reincarnates

Night fell across Karakura Town. Lights in offices dimmed as the streetlamps lit and illuminated the pavement. All seemed quiet save for the three figures walking in the middle of the roadway who were clad in black robes. Masao led Goro and Ayame to the spot they had pre-determined to enter Soul Society through.

They had spent the past couple of days honing their skills and becoming accustomed once again to their Shinigami forms. They remembered past skills and took to them quickly. All except for the names of their zanpakukto, to which it seemed they did not retain their original swords.

Masao led the other Shinigami Reincarnates off the roadway and into a small clearing surrounded by trees. This was the place he had chosen, the same place where he was shamed by Tamotsu Toshiyuki when he had first stolen a mod soul and changed into his present form for the first time. A fitting area, he believed.

"Goro," Masao said. "Open the Senkaimon."

Goro nodded and unsheathed his zanpakuto. If he remembered correctly, all he had to do was concentrate and insert the blade of his zanpakuto into the air and turn it like a key. As an added measure, he poured a small amount of his reiatsu into the blade and the surrounding area. He inserted the sword as he remembered he had several times before in his previous life, then turned. Nothing happened.

"What's going on?" Ayame asked. "Why isn't it working?"

Twice more Goro attempted the key to open the gateway between worlds and twice more failed. Ayame made her own attempts which also ended in failure.

"Damn it!" Masao shouted. "It should be working!"

"Maybe the Soul Society is blocking our attempts?" Goro suggested.

"If that were true we should feel interference." Lifting his own blade, Masao tried several times himself to open the gateway. As before, nothing happened.

"I think something's missing," Ayame said. "Before, we had a Jigokucho to guide us. Isn't that right?" Masao and Goro nodded slowly. "Since we haven't returned to Soul Society, chances are we don't have a Jigokucho to help guide us through the gateway."

"And we can't contact Soul Society or our plans will be ruined." Masao swore again and sheathed his zanpakuto. "For all my planning we get foiled by a little black butterfly."

"Listen, Masao," Goro said. "We've been thinking. Is this really the best way to go about it? Are we really going there for a sense of justice and atonement? Or is this just part of your petty revenge?"

"You know why we have to go back."

"We know why you're going back. But neither Ayame nor myself remember exactly what happened to us."

"If you want Soul Society to go about their lives without realizing the wrong they've done to us then go on. Leave. I'll find my own way! But mark my words. Once I get in there I'll be the reckoning of Seireitei."

The three stood silent for a moment. Ayame was about to say something when a sudden pressure was felt in the air. It began to increase in intensity quickly and a moment later all three Shinigami had to fall to their knees.

"What is this reiatsu?!" Goro shouted over the power he felt. "I don't remember feeling anything this strong before!"

The three looked up and saw a burst of blue light explode from a point thirty feet in the air. A gateway began to open, the doors sliding sideways and the interior filled with an intense white light. Three dark figures approached and Masao squinted to see who they were. One was a Captain, that much was clear from the haori he wore. The other two he didn't recognize, but it seemed clear they meant business as one carried a double-bladed sword and the other a shield. As the gate closed and light faded Masao's eyes grew wide as the first thing he saw was the whip wrapped around the Captain's shoulder.

"No..." Masao said, just audible over the fading rumble.

Tamotsu Toshiyuki stood in the air, the breeze billowing his yellow-trimmed haori with Takeo on his left and Naomi on his right. All three of them were staring down at the other Reincarnates, intense expressions on all their faces.

"Masao Rin," Tamotsu said. "I can't allow you to go about this mission of yours. I have faced my past and you must do the same. If you continue to pursue your current path, I will stop you."

"You think you're so special, don't you?" Masao said, putting on a tone of false confidence. "You have all your buddies up there and you think you're all high and mighty. That cloak means nothing to me! You're still the same weakling you always were!"

"Tall talk when addressing someone that's whooped your butt twice," Tamotsu said.

Goro and Ayame couldn't help but snicker at the truth of Tamotsu's words. "Tall words indeed," Masao responded as he drew his zanpakuto. "But words won't settle this. We're going to Seireitei and you can't stop us!"

"I believe I can. And I will."

"Then prove it!" A shock wave erupted from around Masao as he jumped into the air straight for Tamotsu. Unwrapping his whip, Tamotsu blocked the initial strike and was driven backward. "Surprised? We've been practicing!" Masao let loose several more strikes to which Tamotsu blocked with his whip, sparks flying at each impact.

Takeo sped downward at Goro, his twin blade raised. Goro lifted his zanpakuto for a block. The impact collided and sent bursts of energy outward, the ground caving underneath. Rather than jumping back into the air, Goro and Takeo dueled on solid ground. With his spinning and parrying techniques Takeo kept Goro on his toes. He was going on an all-out offensive, a habit of his from being in the Eleventh Division under Captain Kenpachi.

Goro spun his zanpakuto, using it as a shield in front of him. His technique, it seemed, was opposite of Takeo. Rather than striking offensively, he bided his time and waited for an opening. But it seemed Takeo was well aware of his own weaknesses. When the first opening came, Goro moved in with a thrust but Takeo maneuvered out of the way using the momentum from his spinning technique. Their skill, it seemed, was equal. For them, it was only a matter of who would tire first.

* * *

><p>Ayame surveyed the situation. Masao and Tamotsu were attacking each other and Goro was fending off Takeo's relentless assault. The third member of the party, Naomi, hadn't moved since the attacking had begun. Ayame didn't take kindly to attacking outright, but it seemed this would-be Captain called Tamotsu was the biggest threat. Jumping into a Shunpo to quickly close the distance, she raised her sword and brought it down to where Tamotsu would be. Before her blade was down one third of the strike, a shield appeared in front of her. Unable to stop the strike, Ayame's zanpakuto struck the shield and a flower on the top began to glow pink.<p>

"Get out of my way," Ayame said to Naomi. The young girl only lowered her shield enough for her eyes to show, her expression firm. "Hado number one. Sho!"

Ayame aimed her finger and fired the Kido spell at Naomi. A burst of energy erupted, the spell intending to push her away. Instead, Naomi stood firm and the first and second flowers on her shield lit up. Ayame jumped to the side using Shunpo and then reappeared behind Naomi. She swung the zanpakuto but Naomi jumped away using Shunpo herself and hid behind her shield.

"You can keep running and hiding," Ayame said. "But even the best of shields have their weak points!" Using Shunpo once again, Ayame jumped and struck Naomi's shield and then rebounded with a parry that snuck around the edge and made contact with Naomi's calf muscle. Naomi cried out as several drops of blood spilled out and fell to the ground. "You can't win a battle with only defense! Everyone knows that!"

Naomi lowered her shield slightly and softly closed her eyes. "Kusabana no Chiyu," she said in a hushed voice. The flowers on her shield glowed brightly as pink energy escaped and made way straight for the cut on her leg. A second later, the wound was healed completely. Narrowing her gaze, Naomi uttered another phrase. "Kusabana Taihou."

The center flower on Naomi's shield grew bright and a shot of pink energy erupted from the shield and headed straight for Ayame. Ayame jumped out of the way as the blast of energy flew past her. Looking back to Naomi, she noticed that the shield's glowing flowers had faded, the top one only glowing softly. "So it looks like you've got some fight in you after all," Ayame said.

* * *

><p>"You've gotten stronger!" Masao cried out as he unleashed another flurry of attacks.<p>

"So have you," Tamotsu responded. "But I still won't allow you to win."

"You can try, but there's still some things you can't pull off!" Jumping into a Shunpo technique, Masao sped and reappeared behind Tamotsu and was about to bring his blade on top of the Captain's head but was met by the center of Tamotsu's whip. A second of shock caused Masao to hesitate as Tamotsu's entire being had seemed to change. A bright blue aura surrounded him, and when he turned Masao noted a bright glowing in Tamotsu's eyes that caused a chill to run down his spine.

With his free hand, Tamotsu thrust his palm forward and caused a torrent of wind to erupt in a cyclone that swept around Masao. Then with his whip hand, Tamotsu thrust the rope forward as a fireball formed at the tip. When the whip reached its full length, the fireball sped forward and was propelled even faster by the sonic crack of the whip. Masao barely managed to dodge, the heat singing the edge of his robes.

"You're confident," Tamotsu said. "But knowing your own weakness carries a strength of its own. Do you know your weakness?"

"My only weakness is ever believing that you would listen to me!" Masao screamed as he unleashed another flurry of attacks. "You always go on about how you'll do anything to protect the Soul Society. Yet when you died they did nothing! They abandoned us! They betrayed us!"

"You cannot blame the actions of a few on the Society as a whole! Soi Fon may have had her reasons, but that is between you and her. I will protect the Society from people like you. You don't care about justice. Only your sense of personal revenge!"

Masao came down hard, putting all of his strength into his blow. Tamotsu lifted his whip and was able to block the strike, sparks exploding from the point of contact.

"You don't know anything! You think that you can just automatically forgive because of their ignorance?! Just because they didn't know we still existed and remembered doesn't mean they shouldn't pay for what they've done!"

Tamotsu thrust his hand forward and pushed Masao away using the Sho technique. He let loose another crack of his whip and caused a shock wave that buffeted Masao. "Your ambitions blind you," Tamotsu said. "You took an oath to protect Seireitei no matter what, even if it cost you your life. Does that mean nothing now? Even if you are no longer part of it, did it not mean anything to you at the time?"

"Shut up!" Masao jumped again using Shunpo and fired off another volley of attacks. "You think you're so noble? You have your sister and your friends. I have nothing! Only what you see!"

"Did you even bother to try talking to them? Did you even want to? Or did you just assume everything? You can still turn away from this, its not too late!"

* * *

><p>Takeo and Goro circled each other on the ground. Both were panting, but neither was willing to lower their weapons. Every so often, they would switch direction as if by some unspoken cue. Occasionally, one of them would attack and they would exchange a few blows before jumping back again.<p>

"You fight well and honorably," Goro said. "I see why Tamotsu chose you as his Lieutenant. I think I remember you. You were in the Eleventh Division, right? That's why you're so intent on fighting."

Takeo gave a slow nod of confirmation. Even if he still retained his ability to speak, he would have said nothing in return. Goro had sided with someone who wanted to attack Seireitei. And that alone was enough to justify his attacks.

"Why do you fight with Tamotsu? Aren't you at all upset about what happened to you? Why do you fight against us?"

Takeo glared at Goro, and the reason was clear. _Because I choose to._ Takeo attacked once again, this time anticipating the blocking strikes Goro would execute. He swung from a high angle and Goro's blade came from the opposite angle to counter it. Takeo suddenly sifted his technique and rather than forcing the blow further he reversed the strike and used the opposite end of his blade to further Goro's coutnerstrike.

Too late did Goro notice the change in tactics as his blade was suddenly struck upward and nearly flew from his hands. Jumping up to avoid losing grip on his zanpakuto, Goro stood ten feet above the ground on a pocket of solid reishi. A second later Takeo joined him and they continued their game of circles.

* * *

><p>"Why do you fight?" Ayame asked. "Its clear you don't like to, yet you persist in defending Tamotsu. Is he really that important to you?"<p>

"Tamotsu..." Naomi said softly. "He understands me. Helped me."

"And what about Seireitei? Don't you feel contempt for the Captain who abandoned you?"

Nomi lowered her shield and looked away. "How could I?" Her eyes became glassy as she spoke, her small voice filled with emotion. "He knew what I was before and accepted me. I know it wasn't his fault when I died there. I loved him as my father."

* * *

><p>Shock waves and flames reverberated through the air as Masao dodged and counterstriked, only to have his own blows deflected by Tamotsu's whip and his instantanious Kido barriers. He knew fighting Tamotsu would be tough, but he never expected the Shinigami to be so strong. Despite his feelings and what Tamotsu had said, Masao knew that he had started on this path and now there was no turning back.<p>

Charging again, Masao knocked Tamotsu's whip away in an attempt to make a clear path to his target. By the time he approached for a strike Tamotsu could not block, Masao found himself being pushed away by an invisible barrier. With Tamotsu's eyes still glowing bright blue he wondered if it were possible that this so-called Captain was able to cast Kido spells without using any gestures or words at all. If that were the case, there was no telling what could happen.

Finding himself on a lower plane than Tamotsu, Masao jumped straight up to gain the advantage of higher ground. When he was five feet above, his progress suddenly halted by a strong pull on his leg. Looking down, he saw that the end of Tamotsu's whip was wrapped around his leg. Another fierce pull downward nearly caused Masao to lose grip of his zanpakuto. He struggled to slow his descent by pouring his reiatsu into forming a wall but he seemed to be crashing through them.

When the whip finally loosed from his leg, Masao readied for an assault but was caught short. His arms were suddenly tied down to his sides, Tamotsu's whip wrapped around his body. The blade at the end of the whip quivered as if anticipating the final blow. Looking up, Masao stared into Tamotsu's eyes.

"Come on," Masao growled. "What are you waiting for? Do it!"

All at once, Tamotsu shivered. He looked away for a moment, the fierce gaze in his eyes gone. Before him was his enemy, bound by his whip. All it would take was one word to end it. Just as he had with Fumio Tanaka so long ago. And once again, a Shinigami was at his mercy.

_Do it,_ Hinohebi whispered in Tamotsu's mind. _End it. He has gone against what we stand for. He desires to destroy the Soul Society. Say the word and be done with it._

"No..." Tamotsu said, his eyes swelling. "Not again..." The coils around Masao loosened, the whip falling slack against Tamotsu's side. "No. _NOOO!_" A burst of blue energy erupted around Tamotsu and into the sky. His intent was not to draw in energy for a final assault, but to draw all attention to him. When all eyes were fixed, it appeared that his entire being had changed. He glowed brighter than ever with a pure white essence, his hair billowed by an unseen breeze.

"Why?" Tamotsu asked, his voice reverberating with power behind his words. "Why do we fight? Are we not all the same? What is the difference between us? Why the anger and hatred? We all died to protect something. We all came together for a purpose. We are the first of a new breed of Shinigami. Does that mean nothing?"

Tamotsu paused, more for emphesis than awaiting an answer. All eyes were on him, as well as a half dozen new arrivals who had been drawn to the bursts of reiatsu in the area.

"You are my brothers! My sisters! Born again into a new life with memories of the old. I will not fight you." Lifting his right hand, Tamotsu's whip wrapped around his shoulder in its standard position.

"I am not your brother, Tamotsu!" Masao cried. "I am your enemy! Fight me!"

"Why?" Tamotsu said, his face now filled with indifference. "Why should I fight?"

"I'll kill you, I swear!"

"I have the memories of so many of my deaths, Masao. What's one more? If it will bring peace to your heart, by all means. Kill me."

Masao's grip tightened on his zanpakuto. "Damn you, Tamotsu! _Damn you!_" Masao lunged forward, his zanpakuto ready to swing. The distance closed quickly, yet Tamotsu did not move and Masao swung his blade hard. Three inches before he would have struck Tamotsu's neck, the blade stopped. It was not by any Kido spell or barrier, but by Masao's own hands stopping. "Damn you... Why do you have to be so noble... Damn you..."

Masao lowered his blade and Tamotsu stepped forward. "Deep in your heart you know I'm right," he said. "You let your anger cloud your judgement."

"But Soi Fon... She still abandoned me... Does that mean nothing to you?"

"I didn't abandon you, Masao Rin," a woman's voice sounded. Everyone turned to see Soi Fon slowly walking toward the two main combatants.

"Captain..." Masao said. "But I remember. I fell down. You jumped away... You let me die!"

"I did what I had to in order to fulfull the mission," Soi Fon responded. "In my position, you would have done the same. Were our positions switched, I would have expected it from you. The first blast from the Hollow left your position open. I would have assisted you but the other Hollows were already moving toward the opening. I was sorrowed when you died and ever since I learned of your reincarnation I couldn't take that image from my mind."

"Captain Soi Fon... I didn't think you would have cared. You would have thought I was weak. I was going to avenge what you had done to me."

"Its understandable, Masao. But a lot has changed in Seireitei since then. You may not recognize everything."

"Captain..." Masao fell to his knees, head bowed. "Forgive me, Captain."

"Idiot..." Soi Fon said, looking away slightly. "I haven't been your Captain since that day. And I shouldn't be the one you're apologizing to."

Masao lifted his head and followed Soi Fon's gaze to Tamotsu. The other Shinigami had not moved during their entire conversation. "Tamotsu..." Masao said. "I'm sorry. It seems that you do deserve that haori you now wear."

Tamotsu nodded. "The battle is over," he said. "We can return you to Seireitei if you so desire. There, we can discuss what once was and what now is."

"But how can we go there?" Goro asked. "We lack the Jigokucho. And who do we report to? Soi Fon said that we aren't part of our squads anymore. We have no Captain."

"We have a Captain," Masao said. "Captain Toshiyuki. My blade is yours."

Tamotsu nodded. "Thank you, Masao."

"Okay, enough of this," Soi Fon said. "There's work to be done, and there is a threat looming over Soul Society."

"When is there not a threat looming over Soul Society?" Tamotsu asked. "Seriously, from what Rangiku said you can set your watch to how many threats there have been."

Soi Fon smiled. "Fair enough," she said. "So are you just going to stand there?" Placing her zanpakuto into the air, it disappeared as if entering a key hole. Turning it, a doorway appeared and slid open. "Jigokucho have already been ordered to escort you."

Before he could start walking, a white butterfly with gold trimmed wings appeared on Tamotsu's shoulder. _I shall be your guide from here on_, the Tengokucho said. Tamotsu nodded. Although Soi Fon seemed surprised by the appearance of the white butterfly, she said nothing.

The group of seven walked into the bright light that served as a pathway between the dimensions of the World of the Living and the Soul Society. Below, the ones who had witnessed the event lowered their eyes to one another in sudden understanding. Each had their own story, but shared a past. In time, that past would be revealed to them fully. Until that time, they knew who to follow. Tamotsu Toshiyuki, Captain of the Fourteenth Division of the Gotei Thirteen.

* * *

><p>Doctor Ifukube walked down the narrow stairwell. He had this secret passage installed soon after the first visit of his guest. The rocks hid spiritual energies well enough, and no one would be allowed in the pathway without his permission. At the end of the hallway, Ifukube opened a steel door. Inside sat a figure garbed in a black cloak who was sitting in a chair. Rather than electrical lights, the room was illuminated by candles.<p>

"Why have you disturbed me?" the figure asked. "I was reviewing important notes for my experiments."

"I am sorry, my Lord," Ifukube said. "But I felt this was important. It would seem that the Reincarnate Tamotsu Toshiyuki has been made Captain of a new Division in Seireitei. A Division specifically for the Reincarnates."

"A new Division, you say? And Toshiyuki as the Captain no less. This is unexpected." The cloaked figure closed his book and turned to face Ifukube. "Are you certain?"

Ifukube nodded. "I witnessed the recent battle with my own eyes. It was confirmed by Captain Soi Fon."

"I see..." The man walked to a shelf and replaced the book he had removed from it.

"This will interfere with our plans. What should we do?"

"Things will not go as I had expected, but will continue to meet the end result. Go on and release those patients who I have confirmed to be Reincarnates. Point them toward... Captain Toshiyuki."

"Release them? But our experiments... There is so much more to do. If we had the Hogyoku-"

"The Hogyoku was merely a tool. A means to an end. Release them. They will go to Toshiyuki and he will lead them to me. Is that understood?"

Ifukube stooped into a low bow. "As you wish, Lord Aizen."

END

* * *

><p>The first story of the Shinigami Reincarnate has ended, but there is still more adventure to come. I'm ending this story since I believe that 39 chapters is enough, and the next installment will have at least this amount of chapters of the same length.<p>

I would like to thank everyone for reading. I know there are still several more questions that have yet to be answered, but I hope to reveal everything in Shinigami Reincarnate II


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